HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Monday sounded the alarm over what it called an "ugly" and worsening humanitarian situation in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, where civilians fleeing violence face ransom demands and starvation.

"What we do know is that civilians fleeing El-Fasher are often held for ransom along the road, part of the road being controlled by militia," Denise Brown, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said during a virtual briefing, adding that "adults and children alike (are) dehydrated, malnourished, some injured, and all traumatized."

Brown pointed out that the city has been under blockade for over 500 days, which is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians trapped inside.

"The blockade of military assistance and food aid in particular is tantamount to using starvation as a weapon of war," she warned.

She also emphasized the UN's continued call for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to allow civilians safe passage amid intensifying fighting.

"We require those guarantees of safe passage," Brown said, adding that "more than 128 (aid) workers have been killed since the war began in April 2023."

Brown estimated that between 120,000 and 400,000 people remain trapped in El-Fasher, while some 600,000 displaced civilians have fled toward Tawila.

She said the UN has had "42 trucks on standby filled with basic humanitarian supplies, including food, medicines, personal hygiene kits, and shelter materials" since July this year, but access has been blocked.

"It's critical that everyone understands—the humanitarian response is not a solution to this situation," Brown stressed and said: "We are there, contributing to protecting civilians, but a peaceful solution absolutely needs to be found."