PORT SUDAN: The UN’s human rights head blasted the enormous sums spent on cutting-edge weapons at the expense of humanitarian aid and the recruiting of child soldiers, saying on Sunday that nearly three years of conflict have put the Sudanese people through “hell.
According to the UN, two-thirds of Sudan’s population urgently needs humanitarian relief, and over 21 million people suffer from severe food insecurity.
Sudan is dealing with “the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict, including through the arming of civilians and recruitment and use of children,” Turk continued, in addition to the greatest food and displacement catastrophe in the world.
He warned of similar crimes occurring in the Kordofan region, which is currently the core of the battle, and claimed to have heard testimony of “unbearable” atrocities from survivors of attacks in Darfur. The army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at odds in Sudan since April 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities and about 11 million displaced persons.
Speaking in Port Sudan during his first visit during the conflict, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk described the people’s experience as “horror and hell” and called it “despicable” that money that “should be used to alleviate the suffering of the population” is instead being spent on cutting-edge weapons, especially drones.
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