HAMILTON, Canada
The UN said Monday that fighting in Sudan continues to cause widespread suffering, with reports of "summary executions and sexual violence" as civilians remain trapped in the besieged city of El-Fasher.
"We continue to receive credible reports of summary executions and sexual violence. And more than a week after the takeover (by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the city remains barricaded, and civilians are unable to leave," UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said at a news conference.
"Hundreds of civilians, including humanitarian workers, have reportedly been killed, while large numbers remain trapped inside the city with little or no communication to the outside world," Haq said.
"The delivery of life-saving assistance remains blocked by the RSF, contrary to its obligation under international humanitarian law to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of such relief," he added.
Haq cited the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which said the RSF's "obstruction is unacceptable and calls for immediate and unhindered access to the people trapped in El-Fasher. An immediate cessation of hostilities is crucial to ensure the protection of civilians."
He said conditions in the nearby town of Tawila in North Darfur state are "dire," with "families living in the open or in makeshift shelters, food stocks running out, and clean water scarce."
Noting that violence has also escalated in Sudan's Kordofan region, where "grave violations, including the alleged summary execution of civilians, have been reported," Haq said: "In South Kordofan state, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) said yesterday that at least eight children were reportedly killed and three others injured after missile strikes hit displacement shelters last Friday."
"Once again, OCHA calls for urgent, flexible funding to support the millions of people caught in Sudan's devastating conflict," he said, urging international donors to increase support.
"With just two months left in the year, the 2025 humanitarian response plan for Sudan is only 28% funded in the face of overwhelming needs, with $1.17 billion received to date of the $4.16 billion required," he said.
The RSF recently took control of the city of Bara in North Kordofan as part of its ongoing war with the Sudanese army, though it denies targeting civilians.
On Oct. 26, the RSF captured the city of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, and committed massacres against civilians, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the geographical partition of Sudan.
Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.