GENEVA - The United Nations' top human rights official on Friday warned that al-Obeid, the capital of Sudan's North Kordofan state, is facing what he described as another human rights catastrophe and called on the international community to respond.
Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, addressed delegates in Geneva as part of an urgent debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council focused on the situation in the region. He said the indications coming from al-Obeid were "clear and unmistakable" and constituted a new instance of severe human suffering in Sudan.
Turk told the council that civilians in and around al-Obeid have endured siege-like conditions for 18 months. He highlighted that shortages of clean water in the city have reached a critical stage while drone strikes continue, occurring as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces battle for control of territory surrounding the city.
"The signs from al-Obeid are clear and unmistakable: Another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the capital of the strategic state of North Kordofan," Turk said.
The urgent debate was convened at the request of Britain. The British envoy had previously cautioned delegates about the risk of large-scale atrocities, citing reports that the Rapid Support Forces and allied groups are massing around al-Obeid in a manner that could escalate the conflict.
According to records of the U.N. human rights office, between June 6 and June 28 there were 15 drone strikes in al-Obeid and adjacent areas. Those strikes resulted in at least 45 civilian deaths and left 41 people injured, the office recorded.
Turk's remarks underscored the combination of prolonged denial of basic services and active hostilities affecting civilians. His appeal to the international community came amid the council's urgent session on regional developments and the humanitarian consequences for residents of the city and its environs.
The information presented to the council included the casualty figures and the duration of restrictive conditions affecting civilian access to necessities such as clean water. Delegates heard concerns about the potential for further escalation tied to the reported concentration of armed forces near the city.
The U.N. human rights office's documentation of the June 6-28 period provided the specific counts of deaths and injuries attributed to the drone strikes, offering a discrete snapshot of the recent toll on civilians in al-Obeid and surrounding areas.
What to watch
- International responses to the high commissioners call for action and any measures taken to alleviate civilian suffering in al-Obeid.
- Further reporting from the U.N. human rights office on casualties or conditions in the city and surrounding areas.