The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said that Sudan’s El-Fasher city is enduring one of the worst humanitarian crises, describing the situation as “terrifying.”
In October 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur state, after an 18-month siege amid widespread famine and reports of mass killings and sexual violence.
Horror Show
During a visit on Friday to Tawila area, located 65 km away from El-Fasher and where thousands of displaced Sudanese have taken refuge, Fletcher said that satellite images and testimonies from escapees reveal “horrific accounts” including rape, torture, and extortion.
“I mean, it’s a horror show,” the UN Humanitarian Chief told Sudan Tribune, adding that the scale of the crisis surpasses the ability of humanitarian workers to respond.
The fall of the city to the paramilitary force drove civilians to escape to more crowded and vulnerable areas, while thousands of people remain trapped in El-Fasher.
Unspeakable Suffering
In a series of posts on X, the UN official described the horrors of Sudan’s war after meeting with survivors and volunteers in Korma and Tawila. “Darfur is the epicenter of human suffering. So many stories of brutality and horror. These stories must be told,” Fletcher wrote.
“Unspeakable suffering in Tawila. Over half of the fleeing survivors are children. One injured woman I met walked into the camp after surviving an attack, carrying her friend’s starving child. They’re asking the world if help is coming,” he wrote in another post.
In Tawila, I spoke to women who fled El Fasher only a few weeks ago. They carry terrifying stories of brutal violence. The world has not protected them. We must do better. pic.twitter.com/A4MARBBm7v
— Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) November 15, 2025
Moreover, Fletcher called for the protection of civilians and the increase of humanitarian access. “Deliberate attacks on civilians must stop. Those attacking them must be held accountable. Humanitarian access must be granted,” he said.
Sudan Conflict
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF have been engaged in brutal fighting since April 2023, triggering “the world’s most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis” in Sudan. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 14 million inside Sudan and to neighboring countries, and pushed parts of the country into famine amid cholera outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the war has brought the country closer to effective partition, as the SAF controls the center, north and east, while the RSF holds the entire Darfur region and parts of the south, with each side declaring a government.
Echoing Fletcher’s remarks, the US President Donald Trump’s Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, described the conflict in Sudan as the “world’s biggest humanitarian crisis,” particularly after the RSF seized El-Fasher. “Those atrocities are absolutely unacceptable. This must stop very quickly,” he told AFP.
Furthermore, Boulos urged the warring parties in Sudan to accept a three-month humanitarian truce, proposed by the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – collectively known as the Quad – hoping for “some breakthrough in the coming weeks.”
Action against RSF Backers
Earlier, the US warned of consequences for the RSF backers. In the light of this, US State Secretary, Marco Rubio, called for international action to cut off weapons supplies to the paramilitary group, blaming them for the violence.
“They’re committing acts of sexual violence and atrocities, just horrifying atrocities, against women, children, innocent civilians of the most horrific kind. And it needs to end immediately,” Rubio said.
He also pointed to the urgency of taking action to cut off weapons supply to the RSF. “I think something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and support that the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances,” the State Secretary said.
UAE Alleged Complicity
The SAF-aligned government, alongside human rights groups, have repeatedly accused the UAE of backing the RSF with military support and mercenaries. Amnesty International said it had found evidence of weapons manufactured in Serbia, Russia, China, Türkiye, Yemen and UAE being used in Sudan.
However, Abu Dhabi has consistently denied the allegations, rejecting all claims of providing support to either warring party.
Rubio, for his part, slammed countries involved in Sudan’s conflict, although he stopped short of publicly accusing the UAE – a close US ally and a member of the Quad group.
“We know who the parties are that are involved. These things – that’s why they’re part of the Quad along with other countries involved,” Rubio said, adding that “this needs to stop.”
