UN Secretary-General Urges Immediate Dialogue in Sudan Following Fall of El Fasher and Escalating Humanitarian Crisis

On November 4, 2025, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued a strong appeal, insisting that the warring factions in Sudan immediately resume negotiations to halt the escalating violence. This urgent plea was delivered during a UN summit held in Qatar and underscores the international body’s profound concern regarding the humanitarian situation, which has reached a critical juncture, particularly in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

The situation in El Fasher has become dire following the complete takeover of the city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This military action concluded an 18-month siege on the last major stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) remaining in the region. The RSF successfully seized control of the city between October 26 and October 27, 2025. Reports emerging from the area detail horrifying atrocities, including accounts of mass executions, targeted ethnic cleansing operations, and widespread acts of sexual violence. Guterres characterized the ongoing conflict as an "unmanageable spiral" that requires immediate diplomatic intervention.

A particularly shocking incident was the assault on a Saudi maternity hospital on October 28, 2025. Available data indicates that this attack resulted in the deaths of over 460 individuals, including patients and accompanying persons. The protracted siege of El Fasher, which lasted approximately a year and a half, left around 300 thousand residents without essential medical care and vital food supplies, severely exacerbating the crisis.

The escalation of violence has coincided with a severe famine. According to UN data, the spread of hunger has reached the catastrophic fifth phase (IPC Phase 5) in both El Fasher and Kadugli, located in South Kordofan. Across Sudan as a whole, approximately 21 million people are grappling with severe food shortages. Furthermore, 375 thousand individuals are currently living under conditions equivalent to outright starvation. These statistics highlight the unprecedented scale of the crisis facing the nation.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented serious human rights violations perpetrated by the RSF. Consequently, the Prosecutor's Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is actively reviewing the atrocities committed by the RSF in El Fasher as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. Experts suggest that the RSF's capture of El Fasher represents a watershed moment, potentially leading to the de facto partition of Sudan into two distinct zones of influence. While the RSF is reportedly preventing civilians from evacuating the city, other nations, including Iraq, have condemned the killing of non-combatants and are calling for dialogue, rejecting attempts to destabilize the country.