UN rights chief Volker Turk warns of catastrophe in Sudan's al-Fashir

w2193ym9

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk. PHOTO | REUTERS

The UN human rights chief said on Friday he was “horrified” by escalating violence near Sudan’s al-Fashir and held discussions this week with commanders from both sides of the conflict, warning of a humanitarian disaster if the city is attacked.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in al-Fashir without basic supplies amid fears that nearby fighting will turn into an all-out battle for the city, the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the western Darfur region.