El Fasher 'overwhelmed by grief' as atrocities escalate: UN
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UN warns of escalating atrocities in El Fasher as the RSF tightens control. Civilians face systematic violence amid Sudan's brutal war.
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FILE - A woman who fled el-Fasher, after Sudan's paramilitary forces killed hundreds of people in the western Darfur region, rests at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP)
El Fasher has become a city overwhelmed by grief and terror as brutal violence intensifies, the UN Human Rights Office in Sudan has warned on Saturday.
According to the UN's statement, the ongoing war in Sudan has left civilians trapped and suffering “atrocities of an unimaginable scale.”
“Over the past ten days, El Fasher has witnessed an escalation of brutal attacks. It has become a city of grief,” said Li Fung, UN Human Rights Representative in Sudan, in a video posted on X, adding, "Civilians who survived 18 months of siege and hostilities are now enduring atrocities of an unimaginable scale."
Fung further stated that hundreds of civilians have been killed, including women, children, and the wounded, many of whom had sought refuge in hospitals and schools. Entire families were gunned down while fleeing, while others have simply disappeared. Thousands more have been detained, including medical workers and journalists.
Systematic abuses, sexual violence reported
The UN also highlighted that sexual violence and abuse remains a disturbing reality for civilians still trapped in the fallen city.
"This illustrates that there are no safe routes to leave El Fasher and there are serious protection risks to those who remain trapped in the city, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, those with chronic health conditions and the wounded," Fung said.
Fung emphasized that what is taking place in El Fasher is not random chaos but rather a “systematic assault on human life and dignity.” She stated that brutal attacks are often ethnically driven, further escalating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Despite restricted communications and limited access to key sites, the UN Human Rights Office continues to document violations and raise the voices of survivors.
“Despite the disruption to communications and limited access to sources and critical sites, we continue to bear witness, to raise the voice of survivors and to press for accountability,” she noted.
Reports from El Fasher reveal widespread atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces, including summary executions, ethnic killings, and attacks on hospitals. pic.twitter.com/J6gN5E5DOm
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 2, 2025
UN calls for urgent action, accountability
Fung stressed the importance of immediate action from the international community, calling for protection of civilians, safe humanitarian access, and justice for victims.
“El Fasher is bleeding and the time to act is now. The violence must be stopped. Civilians must be protected. Victims need access to assistance and redress. Accountability is the only way forward to prevent these horrors from reoccurring. The world needs to act now,” she urged.
UN Human Rights Council to hold emergency session on El Fasher
El Fasher was the last major city in Darfur held by the Sudanese army. For months, the city endured relentless bombardment, starvation, and siege before falling to the RSF on October 26. Witnesses have reported mass killings, while thousands remain missing or unaccounted for.
The United Nations Human Rights Council will convene an emergency session on November 14 to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, Sudan, following reports of mass killings during the city’s capture by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
A diplomatic note released Thursday revealed that over 50 countries backed the session proposal, led by the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, surpassing the required threshold of one-third of current council members.
Read more: Sudan's El-Obeid people brace for possible RSF attack amid war crimes
