Nairobi: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned of dire humanitarian consequences of the war in Sudan, and stressed that human rights must be "central to building confidence and bringing this war to an end, to resuming the difficult task of building a sustainable peace."

According to Qatar News Agency, Turk told journalists in the Kenyan capital following a five-day visit to Sudan, that critical civilian infrastructure has sustained attacks resulting in severe damage. A key example is the Merowe Dam and hydroelectric power station, which once supplied 70% of electricity needs nationwide and was repeatedly hit by drones launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The senseless attacks disrupted essential power to hospitals, interrupted irrigation for crops, and disrupted access to clean water, facilitating the spread of disease. Attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are serious violations that can amount to war crimes," Turk said.

The fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has since claimed thousands of civilian lives and forced millions to flee their homes due to the violence.