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\u201cThe situation in Sudan is catastrophic. There is simply no other way to put it. Hunger disease and sexual violence are rampant. For the people of Sudan, this is a living nightmare<\/strong>,\u201d warned Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).<\/p>\n The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their former partners turned rivals for power, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has now displaced 11 million inside the country.\u00a0 After more than 18 months of war, 3.1 million are sheltering beyond its borders, IOM said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n UN human rights chief Volker T\u00fcrk also voiced \u201cextreme concern\u201d on Tuesday over a dramatic escalation of hostilities in Sudan\u2019s Al-Jazirah State.<\/p>\n According to his rights office (OHCHR) the violence intensified following the 20 October defection of RSF commander Abu Aqla Keikel to the forces of the ruling military Government.<\/p>\n In apparent retaliation, the RSF launched a series of attacks targeting members of his ethnic group, killing at least 124 people on Friday in Al-Seriha village, with uncorroborated video reportedly showing dozens of bodies lined up for burial.<\/p>\n The violence follows earlier brutal attacks by RSF ground forces on the nearby towns of Tamboul and Rufaa, with hundreds reportedly killed amid widespread looting and destruction. Reports indicate civilians were detained, communication devices confiscated, and crops burned, in what was once considered the country\u2019s \u201cbreadbasket\u201d, OHCHR revealed.<\/p>\n As a result of the violence, thousands of families have reportedly been displaced from Al-Jazirah state.<\/p>\n \u201cAll wars are brutal, but the toll of this one is particularly horrifying<\/strong>,\u201d said Ms. Pope. \u201cIndiscriminate attacks are killing civilians, including young children, some of the areas of most severe need remain cut off entirely, with no access to humanitarian aid\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Amid the escalating violence, a new report by the\u00a0UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission reveals widespread sexual violence by RSF forces, particularly in Greater Khartoum, Darfur and Geziera States. The acts amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the investigation.<\/p>\n The investigators mandated by the Human Rights Council report at least 25 verified cases of sexual violence, including attacks against medical personnel and an 11-year-old girl who died as a result.<\/p>\nViolence surges<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Sexual violence reaches \u2018staggering\u2019 levels<\/strong><\/h2>\n