from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – SAVE The Children has condemned the recent killing of at least 17 children in a displacement site in Sudan.
Some nine girls and eight boys, including a newborn just seven days old, were killed in an attack on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre in El Fasher, North Darfur, on October 11, according to verified reports from humanitarian partners and international media.
A further 21 children were injured.
“No child should ever be killed or injured in conflict,” said Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programming, Save the Children Sudan.
“The deliberate or reckless harm of children, or attacks on the places where they should be safe, is indefensible,” the official added.
Save the Children has called on all parties to protect children and uphold international humanitarian law.
“Save the Children will continue to stand with the children of Sudan, calling for their protection, and working tirelessly to deliver the aid they urgently need,” Lanino said.
Dar al-Arqam displacement centre, which had been providing shelter to families forced to flee earlier clashes, was struck amid ongoing conflict in and around El Fasher.
The city has been under siege for over 500 days, leaving children and families trapped under extreme deprivation, with access to food, clean water and medical care severely restricted.
Humanitarian agencies have documented that schools, health facilities and displacement sites in El Fasher have been repeatedly affected in recent weeks, worsening an already critical situation.
– CAJ News