Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, expressed deep alarm over the escalating violence in El Fasher, Sudan, as reports emerge of widespread civilian casualties and forced displacement. He described a dire situation where hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped with no access to food, healthcare, or safety, as fighting intensifies and escape routes are cut off. Fletcher urged an immediate ceasefire across El Fasher, Darfur, and Sudan as a whole, emphasizing the need for safe humanitarian access and protection for aid workers who continue to operate under dangerous conditions.
El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur under government control, has been under siege for over a year. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly seized control of the city after capturing the Sudanese army’s Sixth Division headquarters, although the army has yet to respond. If confirmed, this would represent a major setback for government forces and a turning point in Sudan’s civil war, which has raged since April 2023. The conflict has already displaced more than 11.7 million people, including 4.2 million refugees who have fled to neighboring countries, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
UN agencies report a sharp increase in civilian deaths and repeated attacks on hospitals and civilian infrastructure in recent weeks. At least 20 people were killed in airstrikes on a mosque and the Saudi hospital—the city’s last functioning medical facility—earlier this month, following nearly 100 civilian deaths in September.
Fletcher condemned the ongoing attacks on civilians and aid operations, calling for all parties to respect international law. He stressed that those responsible for violations of humanitarian and human rights laws must be held accountable. Reaffirming the obligations under UN Security Council resolution 2736 (2024), he called for an end to the siege of El Fasher, the protection of civilians, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Sudan.
