By the Stand For Sudan Editorial Team
Sudan’s embattled city of El-Fasher has been described as “a crime scene” by the United Nations’ top humanitarian official, as global pressure mounts for full humanitarian access following its recent capture by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a stark assessment shared online, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the western region of Darfur had become “an absolute horror show” during his recent visit. His remarks arrive amid widespread reports of mass killings, abductions, and sexual violence during the RSF’s offensive.
A City Devastated by Siege and Violence
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, fell on October 26 after enduring an 18-month siege. Survivors and humanitarian workers have detailed targeted attacks, the destruction of homes, and bodies left in the streets as families fled for safety.
“I’ve spent a week inside Darfur, which is now the epicenter of global human suffering,” Fletcher said. “El-Fasher is, by every account I heard, a crime scene. Civilians are being deliberately attacked. This must stop — and those responsible must face justice.”
The RSF has denied systematic abuses, claiming any violations were carried out by rogue fighters. However, accounts collected by UN staff, local witnesses, and rights groups suggest coordinated and large-scale violence.
Calls for Accountability Grow Louder
Fletcher’s warning came just days after the UN Human Rights Council authorized a formal investigation into alleged atrocities in El-Fasher.
“The international community has a clear duty to act,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said as the resolution passed. “There has been too much theatre and too little action. We must confront this naked cruelty aimed at subjugating an entire population.”
UN officials say tens of thousands of residents remain trapped in the city, cut off from medical care, food, and safe passage out. More than 100,000 civilians are believed to have fled since the RSF seized control, seeking refuge in nearby towns and displacement camps.
Satellite imagery from independent researchers indicates that bodies may have been buried in mass graves on the city’s outskirts.
Conflict Expands Into Kordofan
As Darfur’s crisis deepens, violence has spread eastward into Kordofan, where intensified airstrikes, drone attacks, and troop movements have put additional civilians at risk. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), communities in Babanousa, Dilling, and Kadugli are besieged, with access to food, clean water, and medical services rapidly deteriorating.
Civilian casualties have surged in Bara, Babanousa, Ghubeish, and Umm Krediem, while families continue fleeing across state lines into Khartoum, Northern State, and White Nile State.
An Urgent Call for Action
The expanding conflict underscores the growing fragmentation of Sudan’s war, as humanitarian agencies struggle to reach those in need and international mediators attempt to revive stalled peace efforts.
With El-Fasher in ruins and the humanitarian crisis worsening, UN officials warn that global actors must move beyond expressions of concern and take concrete steps to protect civilians and hold perpetrators accountable.