Moscow, Jan 11 (UNI/SPUTNIK) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls for the safe passage of civilians willing to flee conflict zones in Sudan, ICRC Director of Operations Yasmine Praz Dessimoz told Sputnik.
“We are calling for the safe passage of all civilians fleeing the violence. Anyone no longer taking part in hostilities, including the injured, sick, and detained, must be treated humanely and with dignity, in full accordance with international humanitarian law,” Praz Dessimoz said.
Following the recent escalation in Sudan, the number of individual civilians and families arriving from the city of Al Fashir to Tawila has risen to thousands, she added.
“In Sudan or elsewhere, the ICRC does not participate in political negotiations. However, we welcome all efforts to alleviate the devastating suffering of conflict-affected people in Sudan. Aid alone is not enough; a political solution is essential for lasting peace. Until then, humanitarian organizations must be allowed to aid those in need,” Praz Dessimoz added.
On October 26, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Al Fashir after a year and a half of continuous fighting for the city, which was the largest stronghold of government forces in North Darfur. Regional authorities said that the death toll in Al Fashir after the city fell under RSF control had reached 2,200.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in fierce fighting between the RSF and the regular Sudanese army. In March 2025, the army said it had recaptured the capital, Khartoum.
However, in early April, rebels intensified attacks in the country’s south and west, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, and announced the formation of their own government in the territories under their control. Both sides accuse each other of killing civilians.
