Sudan Humanitarian Crisis: UN Coordinator Denise Brown on El-Fasher Fighting and Civilian Needs

Intensified Fighting in El-Fasher

• 🚨 Reports indicate an intensification of fighting in El-Fasher, Darfur, with military advances observed.
• ⚠️ The UN is not in a position to confirm if RSF has complete control of El-Fasher.
• 💔 Civilians attempting to flee El-Fasher are often held for ransom along roads controlled by militias.

Civilian Suffering and Lack of Safe Passage

• 😥 Civilians arriving in Tawila from El-Fasher were dehydrated, malnourished, injured, and traumatized.
• 🚫 Roads out of El-Fasher are unsafe, and civilians are at increased risk of injury or death.
• ⚖️ The UN calls on the RSF to allow safe passage for civilians to leave El-Fasher or to allow humanitarian access.

Blockade and Starvation as a Weapon of War

• ⛓️ A blockade of humanitarian assistance, particularly food aid, has been in place for over 500 days.
• 🌾 This blockade is described as tantamount to using starvation as a weapon of war.
• 🆘 People are forced onto dangerous roads due to a lack of guaranteed safe passage.

Humanitarian Response and Funding Shortfalls

• 💔 Over 120 aid workers have been killed since the war began in April 2023.
• 📉 The humanitarian response plan is only 27% funded, hindering the ability to meet the needs of traumatized, raped, and starving individuals.
• 🩺 The UN is unable to deliver critical humanitarian assistance, nutrition products, or support hospitals within El-Fasher.

Broader Humanitarian Concerns

• 🌍 The crisis extends beyond El-Fasher to areas like the Cordofan region, Kadugi, and Barra.
• 💧 Outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever are a major concern, exacerbated by poor water and sanitation conditions.
• 🏠 The UN is also concerned about the needs of approximately 1 million refugees from other countries residing in Sudan.

Call for a Peaceful Solution

• 🕊️ A peaceful solution to the war is urgently needed, as humanitarian response alone cannot resolve the conflict.
• 🤝 Dialogue with all actors is ongoing, but guarantees of safe passage for humanitarian aid have not been secured.