Darfur Victims Support Organization
Report on the Ongoing Indiscriminate Aerial Bombardment and Its Impact on Civilians in the City of Mellit
September 7, 2024
Introduction:
On the morning of September 2, 2024, at approximately 10:30 AM Sudan time, the Sudanese Army’s warplanes launched a violent airstrike targeting the city of Mellit, Mellit locality, North Darfur State. The indiscriminate bombardment struck markets and residential neighborhoods, resulting in the death and injury of dozens of innocent civilians who were struggling to carry on with their daily lives amidst extreme economic hardship. This airstrike is not only a flagrant violation of human rights and international law but also poses an existential threat to the civilian population, who are already deprived of basic necessities for survival.
Incident Details:
The Darfur Victims support Organization conducted interviews with the families of the victims to document the tragic events. Mrs. Hanina Adam Ahmed Yahya, aged 55, was selling bread in the Malga market. She was a mother of seven. On that fateful morning, she went out with her sister, Mariam Adam Ahmed Yahya, aged 59, a mother of ten, to carry on their usual work in the market.
Upon their arrival at the market at approximately 10:30 AM, a warplane belonging to the army bombed the Malga market, killing Mariam Adam Ahmed Yahya instantly. Hanina Adam Ahmed Yahya suffered severe injuries to her head, back, and thigh and was transported to Mellit Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries a few hours later.
The airstrike did not stop there; it led to the deaths of 13 civilians and the injury of 39 others, including women and children.
Impact of the Aerial Bombardment on Civilians:
The targeting of markets and residential areas by the army’s warplanes directly disrupts civilians’ ability to earn their daily livelihood and exacerbates the already dire living conditions, especially in the absence of basic services. The residents of Mellit locality live under harsh conditions of poverty and food insecurity, and they are increasingly at risk of death from indiscriminate airstrikes.
The continued airstrikes and the lack of a no-fly zone make life utterly miserable and escalate the civilian death toll. They also completely halt the normal rhythm of life, preventing people from shopping or accessing healthcare. The daily life of citizens in this region is under constant threat, with civilians living in perpetual fear of sudden airstrikes that do not distinguish between military and civilian targets.
The Executive Director of the organization, Adam Musa, described this tragedy, stating: “What is happening in Mellit is a humanitarian catastrophe in every sense of the word,” adding, “These indiscriminate airstrikes targeting innocents reflect a grave moral decline and demonstrate a complete disregard for human rights. Civilians are living in constant terror, unable to lead their lives or earn a living under this relentless bombing. If an immediate no-fly zone is not imposed in conflict areas, the number of victims will continue to rise, and life will become an unbearable nightmare.”
Names of the Victims:
The bombing resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to 39 others.
Names of the Deceased:
1. Adam Ibrahim Arabi – Al-Imtidad neighborhood
2. Nader Nasr Al-Din – Al-Dim neighborhood
3. Nama Al-Douma – Kano village
4. Zahra Faisal – Al-Imtidad neighborhood
5. Nasr Al-Din Muhammad Mosaed – El Fasher
6. Ahmed (details unknown) – Dabatqa village
7. Amina Muhammad Al-Din Ahmed – Dar Al-Naim
8. Muhammad Yaqub – Banam village
9. Fatima Muhammad – Al-Hilla Foq
10. Hanina Ahmed Adam – Sa’ati (B)
11. Mariam Ahmed Adam – Sa’ati (B)
12. Qisma Abdulrahman – Al-Nasr neighborhood
13. Abdul-Salam – Al-Qubba neighborhood
Names of the Injured:
1. Fatima Yahya Mahmoud – East Abbasia neighborhood
2. Yahya Ahmed Yaqub – Safa neighborhood
3. Um Kulthum Mohideen – Mori
4. Muhammad Ahmed Ali Ibrahim – Grand Market, near the Green Mosque
5. Muhammad Yahya Abdullah Adam – Kitab Shukran
6. Hawa Muhammad Abdullah – Al-Imtidad neighborhood
7. Israa Muhammad Ibrahim – Northern Eastern Housing
8. Nada Ahmed Dualbeit – Al-Qubba neighborhood
9. Munira Younis Ali – Al-Qubba neighborhood
10. Deyf Allah Hussein – Abbasia camp (B)
11. Fatima Suleiman Khater – Al-Nasr neighborhood
12. Salma Adam Abdullah – West Abbasia
13. Duria Hafiz Hasballah – Al-Wehda neighborhood
14. Hawa Abdullah Boush – Al-Imtidad neighborhood
15. Othman Ahmed Sabeel – Al-Dim neighborhood
16. Muhammad Adam Hamid – details unknown
17. Amina Hamid Ibrahim – Um Hashaba
18. Salim Bakhit Adam – Northeastern area
19. Abkar Muhammad Ali – details unknown
20. Khatera Isa Ahmed – details unknown
21. Salma Abkar Saleh – Al-Nasr neighborhood
22. Zakia Abkar Saleh – Al-Nasr neighborhood
23. Fayqa Suleiman Khater – Al-Nasr neighborhood
24. Maqboola Debo Juko – Al-Nasr neighborhood
25. Mariam Safi Khamis – Al-Nasr neighborhood
26. Ahmed Abkar Mahmoud – Al-Nasr neighborhood
27. Akram Jadu Muhammad Hamed Shaoyesh – Al-Wehda neighborhood
28. Dalal Jadu Muhammad Hamed Shaoyesh – Al-Wehda neighborhood
29. Muayyad Jadu Muhammad Hamed – Al-Wehda neighborhood
30. Fatima Ahmed – Al-Rahma neighborhood
31. Hadiya Abkar – Um Katira
32. Hawa – Um Katira
33. Jarnabbi – Al-Qubba neighborhood
34. Salim Bakhit Adam – Northeastern area
35. Mahmoud Abdul-Azim Muhammad – details unknown
36. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Adam Abdullah – Al-Wehda neighborhood
37. Muhammad Abdullah Hussein Muhammad – Al-Wehda neighborhood
38. Al-Tayeb Adam Mansour – details unknown
39. Mutaaz Adam Muhammad Adam – details unknown
Recommendations:
The Darfur Victims support Organization calls for an immediate imposition of a no-fly zone over conflict areas to protect civilians from these indiscriminate airstrikes that target them without distinction. The organization also urges the international community and human rights organizations to intervene urgently to stop these violations and demand accountability for those responsible for these crimes that violate international humanitarian law.
Conclusion:
The continued aerial bombardment of civilians in Darfur represents a serious threat to their lives and their right to live in safety. The humanitarian situation in the region is continuously deteriorating, requiring urgent intervention to protect civilians and ensure they have access to basic needs such as food, security, and healthcare. Without such measures, the suffering of these innocent people will persist, and their lives will remain at the mercy of warplanes that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.