Escalating of Attacks, Mass Atrocities in War-Torn Sudan Deepening Already Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis, Top Officials Warn Security Council

Sudan's escalating war has deepened one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and raised fresh fears of mass atrocities, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, as members clashed over sanctions, external arms flows and how to revive a stalled political process.

"The consequences of this conflict will be long-lasting and should shake us all," Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the 15-member Council.

"Brutal mass killings and atrocities, abductions of women and girls and mass rapes are recurring patterns," she stated, painting a dire picture of drones launched by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which have repeatedly struck markets, schools, fuel stations and water infrastructure.

In North Kordofan, drone attacks persist as both parties compete for control of strategically important towns. Drone strikes near Tine, on the Sudan-Chad border, have heightened insecurity in an area where the influx of refugees has intensified pressure on already scarce resources. In Blue Nile State, rising cross-border insecurity risks further straining relations between neighbouring states. The sophisticated weapons used continue to indicate ongoing external support for both parties, she stressed.

She expressed support for the Quad's efforts, comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, to secure a humanitarian truce, as well as for the Quintet, made up of the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States and the United Nations, to help advance a viable political path.

Over Two Thirds of Civilians Desperately Need Life-Saving Support

"More than two thirds of the people of Sudan are in desperate need of life-saving support," said Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefing via video-link.

The UN has recorded 1,400 civilian deaths in the first half of the year, he went on to say, adding that over 1,100 of the deaths were caused by drone strikes, while fighting in North Kordofan's El Obeid drove 15,000 families into the city since mid-July, placing even more pressure on services "already pushed to the breaking point".

In South Kordofan, Dilling and Kadugli remain top priorities for the UN, he noted, but he also expressed worry about West Kordofan, which recently experienced a cholera outbreak. He highlighted increasing violence in the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, which is cutting off communities from aid in a region suffering from ongoing food shortages.

Despite UN facilities being attacked and looted, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reached nearly 11 million people by mid-year, he said, noting that the Office is "on track" to reach 11.4 million with food, but off track on education, health, shelter and water.

"This Council is not powerless," Mr. Fletcher stressed. "The tragedy of Sudan is not that we do not know what to do. It is that we have not yet found the will to do it."

Widespread Horrific Sexual Violence Fuelling War Economy

Eva Khair, Health, Protection and Peacebuilding Adviser, told the Council that both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are committing horrific violations against civilians - with horrific sexual violence being reported in 16 of 18 states.

"Sexual violence is not simply a weapon of war, but a deliberate strategy to terrorize civilians and control their movements," she stated. Abductions linked to sexual violence and forced reproductive labour have become key to the war economy, she said, adding that the recruitment of child soldiers, child marriage and other grave violations against children persist.

"Civilians are trapped between two illegitimate de facto authorities, each pursuing total dominion regardless of whom they crush," she said, warning that external actors are enabling this catastrophe as weapons continue to flow into Darfur.

She called on the international community to create an independent civilian protection mechanism, urge all external actors to cease fuelling the conflict, safeguard healthcare services and promote Sudanese women's active participation and leadership in conflict resolution.

'Unmaking of a Nation' Sparks Calls for Humanitarian Truce, Ending Impunity

"Some wars immediately seize the world's attention," said Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Denmark, Council President for August, speaking in his national capacity. Sudan's war, "the unmaking of a nation", is a magnet for foreign arms and criminal networks. The Independent Fact-Finding Mission found that the Rapid Support Forces' takeover of El Fasher met all the criteria of genocide, he said, quoting a victim to drive the point home. "They raped me in front of the bodies of my father, my mother and my slaughtered brothers."

"An end to this suffering will only come through a humanitarian truce, a permanent ceasefire and an inclusive, civilian-led political process to a sustainable peace," said the United Kingdom's speaker. "The choices needed to make peace in Sudan lie with the leaders, fighters, funders, and fuellers of the war," she stressed.

"Those with influence over the warring parties must exercise it and bring the parties to the negotiating table," urged Dace Melbārde, Latvia's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, asking the Council to imagine the plight of women for whom collecting water could mean "choosing between drone strikes by day and sexual violence by night".

Somalia's representative, speaking also for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, condemned conflict-related sexual violence, attacks on humanitarian personnel and ethnic targeting. Perpetrators must be held to account, including through full cooperation with international and regional judicial mechanisms. In that vein, France's delegate urged the Council to effectively combat impunity where violations occur and extend the sanctions regime to all of Sudan. "No party can gain international legitimacy by hampering humanitarian workers," Paris said.

Expanding Sanctions Regime Draws Both Support and Opposition

"The brutality of the war waged by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces has discredited their claims to be legitimate governors of the Sudanese people," said the speaker for the United States. He also proposed expanding the arms embargo across all of Sudan, explicitly covering unmanned aerial vehicles and related technology, increasing the number of experts on the 1591 Panel of Experts - which assists the Committee monitoring implementation of the sanctions regime established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) - and strengthening cooperation with other sanctions panels in the region.

The representative of the Russian Federation criticized growing sanctions pressure on Sudan and opposed efforts to broaden Council sanctions or the arms embargo, arguing that further economic restrictions would ultimately worsen conditions for ordinary Sudanese people. "We agree that drone strikes are a serious threat; however, we would like to point out that one of the parties to the conflict, RSF, is using drones indiscriminately and chaotically," he said, noting that, on the other hand, the Sudanese Armed Forces is aiming "to neutralize destructive forces".

Rejecting that narrative, the speaker for the United Arab Emirates said the Sudanese Armed Forces were involved in attacks that have killed dozens of civilians. "This cannot be justified or disregarded", she said, calling on the Council to extend the arms embargo to all territories.

Condemnation of Rapid Support Forces' Ongoing Offensive

Several speakers condemned the Rapid Support Forces' ongoing offensive, which Panama's representative said mirror patterns observed elsewhere in the country, including sexual violence. Greece's delegated condemned the Forces' attacks on civilians in El Obeid and "alarming" levels of sexual-based violence against women and girls. "The international community cannot stand by as more cities and civilians are subjected to such violence," said Pakistan's delegate. Saudi Arabia's representative added: "These heinous attacks cannot be justified under any circumstance".

"The protection of children must remain an utmost priority," added Bahrain's representative. Colombia's delegate, underscoring that schools and hospitals have been destroyed or used for military purposes, also echoed: "This Council cannot remain indifferent to the magnitude of this crisis."

The representative of China urged countries in the region to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and guard against "the compounding interplay of tensions". "Close neighbours are better than distant relatives," he added, urging the Council to use sanctions prudently.

Sudan's Stability Crucial for Horn of Africa

"The stability of Sudan is essential - not only for its citizens but for the entire Horn of Africa," said Ethiopia's delegate, as the Council also heard from neighboring countries. He voiced concern about the impact of violence on Ethiopia's border security, which risks creating conditions that could further destabilize the region.

Egypt's delegate rejected any approach that ignores the difference between the rebelling militias and the Sudanese Armed Forces, stressing: "A path to stability requires support for the State institutions and a vision that ends the war." He called for ending the flow and delivery of illicit weapons to militias and mercenaries, whether in Darfur, Kordofan or Blue Nile. The Council must show precaution in adopting resolutions that undermine Sudanese people's right to a united and stable State.

Sudan's Government Highlights Action to Protect Civilians

The representative of Sudan said his Government has established a national mechanism for civilian protection and is facilitating the return of displaced people, with 5.8 million voluntary returns reported by the end of June and more expected by year's end. "The Government of Sudan is committed to its obligations during the war to protect its citizens as much as possible," he emphasized, condemning conflict-related sexual violence and stressing that perpetrators must be held accountable.

He warned that the humanitarian response remains severely cash-strapped, with the response plan funded at only 38.9 per cent, leaving millions of Sudanese civilians without assistance. Turning to political efforts, he urged support for a nationally owned dialogue. "The prolongation of the war is a result of the continued supply of weapons and material to the militia," he stated, also strongly opposing proposals to expand the Council's Sudan sanctions regime and arms embargo beyond the current scope. Doing so would effectively equate the Sudanese Armed Forces with the Rapid Support Forces and therefore undermine Sudanese sovereignty. "This is not a technical modification, or just an adaptation to the developments," he emphasized. "We cannot address the violation of a current sanctions regime through expanding the regime."