**UN warns of a “terrible escalation” as officials report killings and mass displacement
Civilians trapped, terrified, and running out of essentials
The UN humanitarian coordinator, Tom Fletcher, warned in stark terms that with frontlines advancing and escape routes cut off, civilians inside El-Fasher were being exposed to shelling, food shortages and collapsing health services. He described the city as being “at breaking point” and called for unimpeded humanitarian access and safe passage for people trying to escape the fighting. He also urged an immediate ceasefire across El-Fasher, Darfur and the rest of Sudan.
Local and international monitors alike say the siege, which dramatically worsened with Monday’s assault, has produced widespread civilian suffering. The long blockade of the city by the RSF had choked off supply lines already, pushing residents into extreme hunger and depleting hospitals and clinics of medicine and fuel. Now, as fighting pushes deeper into urban areas and as checkpoints close, the number of internally trapped, wounded, and displaced people has surged.
UN secretary-general: a “terrible escalation”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking from Kuala Lumpur, described the situation as a “terrible escalation” of a conflict that started in April 2023. He asked states reportedly meddling in the war – including any actors supplying weapons – to stop undermining efforts towards the attainment of a ceasefire. Guterres framed the deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe as intolerable and called for swift international action on the protection of civilians.
RSF’s claim may change control of Darfur
Allegations of atrocities and ethnic killings
Local leaders demand investigations and protection
Minni Minnawi, governor of Darfur and ally of the Sudanese army, demanded urgent protection for civilians and an independent investigation into alleged massacres and other abuses by the RSF. He joined other local leaders in appealing to the international community to document abuses and push for accountability.
Government response: claims of psychological warfare
SUNA, Khartoum’s official news agency, quoted Information Minister Khaled al-Aisir as denying RSF announcements of taking El-Fasher. Al-Aisir described the RSF’s statements as “psychological warfare.” He said the rebellion has collapsed in some places and been defeated elsewhere. It was in contrast with other reports from international agencies and witnesses who described RSF advance and mass civilian displacement.
The civil war in Sudan shows no signs of abatement as brutal fighting and atrocities continue right across the country; a recent massacre in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has underlined how the crisis is worsening with the complete collapse of humanitarian conditions.
In its third year now, the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces has caused devastation in the lives of millions of people. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, but the RSF has been singled out for atrocities that observers say may amount to genocide, particularly in Darfur.
Human toll and wider crisis
Fighting in and around El-Fasher reflects a conflict that has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. With medical services strained, food supplies cut, and communications often disrupted, humanitarian organizations face enormous challenges reaching those most in need. Events unfolding in El Fasher-from allegedly ethnically targeted killings to mass flightsunderline how the war continues to devastate civilian life across Sudan.
