Country: Sudan Source: UN Women Please refer to the attached file. The Sudan Women Advisory Group strongly condemns the killing of several Emergency Response Room volunteers, including a woman volunteer from the Women’s Emergency Room in Dilling, South Kordofan State, following the shelling that struck the city last week and resulted in additional civilian deaths and injuries. It is with profound sorrow and grief that the Sudan Women Advisory Group mourns the volunteers who lost their lives in this tragic incident while carrying out their humanitarian duties. Their deaths constitute not only a humanitarian tragedy, but also a profound loss to the humanitarian community and to the conflict-affected communities they served with courage and dedication. This incident serves as a tragic reminder of the grave risks faced by frontline humanitarian workers in Sudan, particularly those working within women-led organizations (WLOs), which continue to provide life-saving assistance amid insecurity, growing operational constraints, and rapidly escalating humanitarian needs. Women volunteers and humanitarian workers continue to carry out their duties under extremely dangerous conditions and with limited protection measures in place, further heightening the risks they face while delivering essential humanitarian assistance and services, particularly in areas affected by active conflict and heightened insecurity. The Sudan Women Advisory Group considers the direct targeting of civilians, humanitarian workers, and community-led initiatives to constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a serious breach of the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. It further emphasizes that humanitarian workers and volunteers, including those engaged in community-led initiatives and women-led organizations (WLOs), must be protected at all times and must never be subjected to violence or targeted in the course of their humanitarian work. The Sudan Women Advisory Group further expresses grave concern over the continued impunity for violations committed against civilians and humanitarian workers, and underscores that ensuring accountability is not discretionary, but a fundamental obligation under international law. Amid unprecedented strain on Sudan’s humanitarian infrastructure and essential services, women-led organizations (WLOs), including Emergency Response Rooms, continue to play a critical role in delivering humanitarian assistance and providing protection and life-saving support to conflict-affected communities. The Sudan Women Advisory Group calls on all parties to the conflict to: Uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and community volunteers. Respect and safeguard humanitarian and community-led initiatives, including emergency response rooms and women-led organizations (WLOs). Guarantee safe, timely, and unhindered humanitarian access to all people affected by the conflict. The Sudan Women Advisory Group extends its deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims, their colleagues, and the communities they served, and wishes a swift recovery to those injured. It further reaffirms its full solidarity with all volunteers and frontline humanitarian workers contributing to the response effort across Sudan.