A Vatican diplomat lamented the plight of civilians in El Obeid, Sudan, who are at risk of atrocities amid the nation’s civil war.
“My delegation is particularly concerned by the tightening obstruction of humanitarian access, and the siege-like conditions in which food, water and fuel are scarce, and essential city services are under attack,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said during a UN Human Rights Council meeting on July 3.
“Starving civilians can never be a method of warfare,” Archbishop Balestrero continued. “All parties must comply with international humanitarian law, protect and uphold human rights, step back from any assault upon El Obeid, open safe corridors for those in need, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access.”