Sudan Violence Escalates in Darfur Region

The situation in Sudan’s Darfur region continues to deteriorate, with reports of atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The United Nations human‑rights office has received accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, and attacks on humanitarian workers. Over 36,000 people have fled to the town of Tawila, which is already sheltering more than 652,000 displaced individuals.

The RSF militia, which emerged from the genocidal violence of the Darfur conflict 20 years ago, has been engaged in a brutal war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. This conflict has turned Sudan into the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with approximately 14 million people displaced out of a population of 51 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 460 patients and companions were killed in the alleged massacre at the Saudi Maternity Hospital and other medical centers in El Fasher.

The UN human‑rights office has also received reports of sexual violence, including the gang‑rape of at least 25 women at a shelter for displaced people near El Fasher University. Humanitarian workers and local volunteers have been targeted as well; the WHO confirmed attacks on health facilities and personnel, verifying 189 attacks in Sudan this year that resulted in 1,670 deaths and 419 injuries.

The Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan is currently only 27.4 % funded, leaving a significant shortfall in resources needed to address the crisis. The capture of El Fasher by the RSF has extended the militia’s territorial control across Darfur and parts of Sudan’s south, while the SAF controls the capital, Khartoum, and much of the country’s north and centre. The international community is being urged to provide urgent support, as the WHO warns that the situation is becoming increasingly dire. The UN is calling for an independent, transparent, and prompt investigation into the atrocities committed in El Fasher to ensure justice and accountability.