Darfur Victims Support Organization
Report on the Suffering of Civilians Due to the Ongoing Aerial Bombardment in North Darfur State – September 24 and 25, 2024
September 25, 2024
North Darfur State is currently enduring a catastrophic humanitarian crisis due to indiscriminate and deliberate aerial bombardments carried out by the military forces through their air force. These continuous airstrikes do not solely target military facilities but also encompass residential areas and vital infrastructure, which serve as the backbone of civilian life in the region. Over the past months, aerial bombardment has become a daily reality for many civilians in Darfur, resulting in widespread destruction of infrastructure and causing persistent fear and panic among the population.
The targeted areas face severe shortages of food supplies due to the aerial blockade and the deliberate obstruction of commercial trucks. Furthermore, healthcare centers have become non-operational as doctors and medical personnel have fled to escape the bombings, leading to an almost complete paralysis of healthcare services. These attacks, which do not differentiate between military and civilian targets, constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and exacerbate the suffering of civilians who are already living in harsh conditions.
Amid this deteriorating situation, the Darfur Victims Support Organization stresses the urgent need to draw the international community’s attention to the ongoing crimes in Darfur. The organization calls for immediate action to protect civilians and put an end to these attacks that are worsening the plight of the Sudanese people and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
An eyewitness from Malit locality in North Darfur State informed the Darfur Victims Support Organization that the army’s air force launched an airstrike on the town at approximately 7:57 p.m., shortly after worshippers exited the mosque following the Maghrib prayer. The bombardment targeted the Dar Al-Naim and Al-Emtidad neighborhoods in the northern part of the town, as well as the main customs headquarters.
The airstrike resulted in the destruction of several homes, including the houses of Ahmed Adam Yaqoub, Ahmedou, Aldoma Mahmoud, and Hamadi Abdullah. Majdi Mastour Ahmed was killed, and several others were injured:
1. Yousif Suleiman Maimouna Ahmed
2. Madiha Mohamed Haroun (a 6-year-old girl)
The aerial bombardment has created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Malit, with a sharp rise in food prices and a halt to the entry of commercial trucks into the town. Most health centers and hospitals have ceased operations due to the flight of doctors and medical personnel fearing further airstrikes. Malit has become a refuge for internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, which is experiencing ongoing battles.
On September 25, 2024, an airstrike carried out by the army’s air force targeted Saraf Omra locality, located in the western part of North Darfur State. An eyewitness reported that the airstrike occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m., targeting the airport district near the football stadium in the northern part of the town. No civilians were injured in this attack, but it resulted in the death of 20 head of livestock, causing significant property damage to their owners.
Recommendations and Demands:
1. Implementation of a No-Fly Zone
The Darfur Victims Support Organization calls on the United Nations Security Council and world leaders meeting in New York for the United Nations General Assembly to implement a no-fly zone to protect civilians in the Darfur region and throughout Sudan. This no-fly zone has become an urgent necessity given the ongoing targeting of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
2. Immediate Cessation of Hostilities
The organization urges all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and engage in direct negotiations to reach a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Sudan. Continued violence will only lead to further suffering and destruction.
The Darfur Victims support Organization emphasizes that the international community’s silence on these violations is worsening the suffering of the Sudanese people. Military solutions will not bring peace but will instead deepen the wounds and further complicate the humanitarian situation. The international community must act swiftly to end this crisis, ensure the protection of civilians, and bring those responsible for these crimes to justice.
