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	Violence against women the world’s most persistent and under-addressed human rights crises by WHO, UN Women, UNFPA, agencies   Violence against women remains one of the world’s most persistent and under-addressed human rights crises, with very little progress in two decades, according to a landmark report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN partners.   Nearly 1 in 3 women ​– estimated 840 million globally – have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, a figure that has barely changed since 2000.   In the last 12 months alone, 316 million women – 11% of those aged 15 or older – were subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Progress on reducing intimate partner violence has been painfully slow with only 0.2% annual decline over the past two decades.   For the first time, the report includes national and regional estimates of sexual violence by someone other than a partner. It finds 263 million women have experienced non-partner sexual violence since age 15, a figure experts caution is significantly under-reported due to stigma and fear.   "Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and most pervasive injustices, yet still one of the least acted upon," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "No society can call itself fair, safe or healthy while half its population lives in fear. Ending this violence is not only a matter of policy; it is a matter of dignity, equality and human rights. Behind every statistic is a woman or girl whose life has been forever altered. Empowering women and girls is not optional, it's a prerequisite for peace, development and health. A safer world for women is a better world for everyone."   The new report, released ahead of the International day for the elimination of violence against women and girls observed on 25 November, represents the most comprehensive study on the prevalence of these two forms of violence against women. It updates 2018 estimates released in 2021. It analyses data between 2000 and 2023 from 168 countries, revealing a stark picture of a deeply neglected crisis and critically underfunded response.   Despite mounting evidence on effective strategies to prevent violence against women, the report warns that funding for such initiatives is collapsing – just as when humanitarian emergencies, technological shifts, and rising socio-economic inequality are further increasing risks for millions of women and girls.   For instance, in 2022, only 0.2% of the global development aid was allocated to programmes focused on prevention of violence against women, and funding has further fallen in 2025.   Women subjected to violence face unintended pregnancies, a higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections and experiencing depression. Sexual and reproductive health services are an important entry point for survivors to receive the high-quality care they need.   The report underscores the reality that violence against women begins early and risks persist throughout life. For example, in the past 12 months alone, 12.5 million adolescent girls 15-19 years of age or 16% have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.   While violence occurs in every country, women in least-developed, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable settings are disproportionately affected. For example, Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) reports 38% prevalence of intimate partner violence in the past year – more than 3 times the global average of 11%.   To accelerate global progress and deliver meaningful change for the lives of affected women and girls, the report calls for decisive government action and funding to:   Scale up evidence-based prevention programmes; Strengthen survivor-centred health, legal and social services; Invest in data systems to track progress and reach the most at-risk groups; Enforce laws and policies empowering women and girls.   The report is accompanied by the launch of the second edition of the RESPECT Women: preventing violence against women framework, offering updated guidance for violence prevention, including for humanitarian contexts.   There can be no more silence or inaction. We need leaders to commit and act towards ending violence against women and girls now.   ​"Violence against women inflicts deep and lasting harm that affects their lives, health and dignity. For many, violence is compounded by discrimination based on poverty, disability and other factors, exposing them to even higher risk. The devastating cycle of abuse often ripples through families and communities and across generations. The data paint a grim picture of the toll of inaction. This must change now. We must act urgently together to end this violence and ensure that every woman and girl, in all her diversity, can exercise her rights, realize her potential and contribute fully to more just, equal and prosperous societies.” Diene Keita, Executive Director, UNFPA   "Ending violence against women and girls requires courage, commitment, and collective action. Advancing gender equality is how we build a more equal, safer world for everyone, where every woman and every girl can live a life free from violence.” Dr Sima Bahous, Executive Director, UN Women   “The data shows that many women first experience violence from a partner when they are adolescents. And many children grow up watching their mothers being pushed, hit or humiliated, with violence a part of daily life. The key is to break this pattern of violence against women and girls.” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell   http://www.unfpa.org/press/lifetime-toll-840-million-women-faced-partner-or-sexual-violence http://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116962 http://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240117020 http://respect-prevent-vaw.org/ http://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/take-action-10-ways-you-can-help-end-violence-against-women http://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/faqs/faqs-the-signs-of-relationship-abuse-and-how-to-help http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2025/10/one-in-three-organizations-have-suspended-or-shut-down-programmes-on-ending-violence-against-women-due-to-funding-cuts   http://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/16-days-of-activism http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/12/tipping-point-the-chilling-escalation-of-violence-against-women-in-the-public-sphere-in-the-age-of-ai http://www.unfpa.org/16days http://www.unfpa.org/thevirtualisreal http://www.unfpa.org/bodyright http://africarenewal.un.org/en/magazine/online-abuse-real-violence-and-africas-women-and-girls-are-paying-price http://www.bond.org.uk/news/2025/12/a-human-rights-day-call-against-gender-based-violence/ http://www.unfpa.org/TFGBV http://www.unfpa.org/gender-based-violence http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1q/k1qtfqmptt http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/childrens-exposure-intimate-partner-violence-against-their-mothers-pervasive   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164531 http://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/faqs/digital-abuse-trolling-stalking-and-other-forms-of-technology-facilitated-violence-against-women http://www.savethechildren.net/news/finland-one-three-girls-facing-sexual-abuse-online-messages-often-becoming-sexual-under-hour http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2024/10/intensification-of-efforts-to-eliminate-all-forms-of-violence-against-women-report-of-the-secretary-general-2024 http://blog.witness.org/2025/03/technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence   http://odi.org/en/insights/confronting-efforts-to-dismantle-gender-equality-and-inclusion/ http://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/06/the-new-global-struggle-over-gender-rights-and-family-values http://www.ids.ac.uk/news/podcast-strategies-for-countering-gender-backlash http://www.unrisd.org/en/activities/news-items/unrisd-puts-gender-backlash-in-the-spotlight-at-international-gender-champions-biannual-meeting http://www.unrisd.org/en/library/publications/understanding-backlash-against-gender-equality-evidence-trends-and-policy-responses   http://equalmeasures2030.org/2024-sdg-gender-index http://www.unicef.org/adolescent-girls-rights http://www.helpage.org/news/social-protection-can-transform-lives-of-older-women/ http://www.unfpa.org/emergencies http://www.unfpa.org/news/explainer-why-investing-women-and-girls-benefits-everyone http://gi-escr.org/en/resources/publications/a-care-led-transition-to-a-sustainable-future http://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/health/cash-transfer-kenya-poverty.html http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/14/standing-firm-on-womens-right-to-live-free-of-violence
	Mass atrocities, war crimes by RSF in El Fasher, Sudan by IASC, OCHA, UNICEF, Refuees International   4 Dec. 2025   UN Human Rights Chief warns against atrocities in Sudan’s Kordofan region. (OHCHR)   UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday he feared another wave of atrocities in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting across the Kordofan region between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).   Since 25 October, when RSF captured Bara city in North Kordofan, the UN Human Rights Office has documented at least 269 civilian deaths from aerial strikes, artillery shelling, and summary executions. Telecommunications and internet outages hinder accurate reporting, therefore, the number of civilian casualties is likely to be much higher.   There have also been reports of retaliatory killings, arbitrary detention, abductions, sexual violence and forced recruitment, including of children.   "It is truly shocking to see history repeating itself in Kordofan so soon after the horrific events in El Fasher,” said the High Commissioner. “The international community stood united then, unequivocally condemning the barbarous violations and destruction. We must not allow Kordofan to become another El Fasher.”   Heavy fighting continues across the three Kordofan states resulting in more civilian casualties. At particular risk are Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan which have been besieged by the RSF and SPLM-N, and El Obeid in North Kordofan which is partially surrounded by the RSF. The humanitarian situation is dire, with famine confirmed in Kadugli and risk of famine in Dilling. All parties are blocking humanitarian access and operations.   “We cannot remain silent in front of yet another man-made catastrophe,” said Turk. “This fighting must end immediately, and life-saving aid allowed to reach those who face starvation.”   Turk called for the protection of humanitarian personnel and local responders, and the restoration of lifesaving assistance to civilians.   “Safe passage for those fleeing the horror of famine, death, and destruction is essential and a human rights imperative,” said Turk.   Once again, the High Commissioner called on all States with influence over the parties to take immediate action to halt the fighting, and stop the arms flows that are fuelling the conflict.   “We cannot stand idly by and allow more Sudanese to become victims of horrific human rights violations. We must act, and this war must stop now.”   Statement from the Operational Humanitarian Country Team in Sudan on violence in the Kordofan region.   "The humanitarian community in Sudan condemns in the strongest terms the escalating violence across the Kordofan region and the ongoing sieges that have cut off multiple cities.   We are deeply concerned by continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, in clear violation of international humanitarian law. The violence is restricting access to food, medicine and essential supplies, and is limiting farmers’ access to their fields and markets, heightening the risk of famine spreading across the Kordofan states.   Communities in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan State remain trapped, facing extreme hardship, severe restrictions on movement and limited access to essential services and protection. In Kadugli, famine conditions have been identified. In Babanusa, West Kordofan State, we have seen reports of sustained attacks over recent days.   We urge all those involved in the fighting to protect civilians, and medical and humanitarian workers – particularly those fleeing besieged areas and local frontline responders delivering life-saving support. Sexual violence, abductions and the recruitment of children must end. Civilian sites and infrastructure – including hospitals, markets and displacement sites – must be respected and protected in line with international humanitarian law.   Humanitarian workers continue to operate under extraordinary risk, delivering basic assistance to 1.1 million people across the Kordofan region. They require safe and unimpeded access to those in need and the resources necessary to save lives and scale up the response".   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/un-human-rights-chief-warns-against-atrocities-sudans-kordofan-region http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/statement-operational-humanitarian-country-team-sudan-violence-kordofan-region http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/sudan-must-address-ethnic-violence-and-prevent-further-escalation-un http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166510 http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-sudan-occupied-palestinian-territory-mozambique http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/unicef-sudan-consolidated-humanitarian-flash-update-north-darfur-and-kordofan-crisis-26-october-01-december-2025   Dec. 2025 (BBC News)   Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been trying to cover up mass killings in the city of el-Fasher by burying and burning bodies, a research team from Yale University says. The RSF had drawn international condemnation amid reports of executions and crimes against humanity when its fighters captured the city in October.   Now, analysis of satellite images by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) shows the RSF likely disposed of tens of thousands of bodies after seizing el-Fasher. The RSF has not responded to the report, but its leader previously admitted his fighters had committed atrocities in the city.   The HRL's report said the RSF "engaged in a systematic multi-week campaign to destroy evidence of its widespread mass killings" and "this pattern of body disposal and destruction is ongoing".   The latest HRL report follows warnings from aid agencies about the low number of civilians who managed to succesfully flee el-Fasher after the RSF seizure. The UN estimates roughly 250,000 people were still trapped in the city, with less than half of that number thought to have arrived in external camps for displaced people:   http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75veyzz2g2o http://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/opinion/sudan-genocide.html http://www.ohchr.org/en/meeting-summaries/2025/11/human-rights-council-calls-urgent-inquiry-recent-alleged-violations   Nov. 2025   Atrocities in El Fasher Demand Immediate International Action. (GlobalR2P)   After eighteen months under a tightening siege, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has fallen to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following days of bombardment and the withdrawal of the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied groups. The RSF’s takeover has unleashed a wave of atrocities, with credible reports pointing to targeted ethnic violence, extrajudicial killings and executions – some amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or acts of genocide.   Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, hospitals reduced to rubble and humanitarian access completely severed. Tens of thousands of civilians are now at imminent risk of mass killings and ethnic cleansing.   On 27 October UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that his office had received reports of “the summary execution of civilians trying to flee, with indications of ethnic motivations for killings, and of persons no longer participating in hostilities.”   Satellite imagery reveals house-to-house clearance operations and evidence consistent with the presence of human bodies near RSF vehicles – grim proof of atrocities unfolding in real time.   Since the siege began, the international community has watched Sudan’s conflict escalate without taking effective or decisive action. Despite repeated warnings from the UN, human rights organizations and Sudanese civil society that the RSF’s capture of El Fasher could trigger widespread and deliberate attacks on civilians, there has been no coordinated effort to protect populations, ensure accountability or halt the flow of weapons fueling these crimes.   The UN Security Council’s paralysis – driven by geopolitical rivalries and political indifference – has once again left the people of Darfur abandoned to face mass atrocities alone.   This is not only a humanitarian emergency; it is an atrocity crisis deepening by the day. The fall of El Fasher marks a critical point of no return. Without immediate and decisive action, the city could soon become the site of another mass atrocity etched into Darfur’s tragic history. It is unacceptable for the world to stand by once again as civilians are hunted, starved and killed.   We therefore call upon the international community to urgently:   Demand and enforce an immediate cessation of hostilities in and around El Fasher and other conflict hotspots. Unequivocally condemn deliberate attacks on civilians and make clear to the RSF and its supporters that all civilians in, around or attempting to flee El Fasher must be protected.   Develop diplomatic strategies to overcome barriers to humanitarian access, including flexible funding for rapid procurement of essential items, transport and emergency supplies, and creative approaches to accelerate aid delivery to communities trapped in El Fasher.   Halt the transfer of arms and financial support to parties to the conflict. Urge the United Arab Emirates to use its influence over actors in Sudan to halt attacks on civilians, uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and refrain from providing material, financial or political support to the RSF. Enhance oversight and tracking of weapons sold to the UAE to ensure they are not diverted for use in atrocities.   Call on the UN Security Council, particularly Sierra Leone, Somalia, Algeria and Russia, to actively and constructively engage in crafting a robust resolution with concrete measures to protect civilians.   Every government, every leader and every institution has the capacity – and the responsibility – to act. Whether through diplomacy, humanitarian assistance or public pressure, there are avenues to make a difference. Silence and inaction are choices. In the face of such horror, they are indefensible.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/mounting-atrocities-in-el-fasher-demand-immediate-international-action/ http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/inter-agency-standing-committee-statement-sudan-call-urgent-international-response http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/no-child-safe-al-fasher http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/november/sudan-one-month-after-the-attacks-on-al-fasher-children-arrive-in-tawila-without-parents-and-traumatised http://www.msf.org/people-who-escaped-el-fasher-are-struggling-survive-one-month-after-rsf-takeover http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/11/sudan-el-fasher-survivors-tell-of-deliberate-rsf-killings-and-sexual-violence-new-testimony/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/sudan-un-experts-appalled-reports-mass-atrocities-unlawful-killings-and http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/11/14/sudan-accountability-crucial-to-stop-atrocities-in-el-fasher-and-prevent-further http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166253   http://www.who.int/news/item/29-10-2025-who-condemns-killings-of-patients-and-civilians-amid-escalating-violence-in-el-fasher--sudan http://www.emro.who.int/sdn/crisis/index.html http://genevasolutions.news/human-rights/these-atrocities-were-preventable-un-backed-investigator-on-sudan-s-el-fasher http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-displaced-civilians-fleeing-sudan-s-darfur-kordofan-regions-navigate http://www.msf.org/urgent-appeal-people-el-fasher http://raoulwallenbergcentre.org/en/news/2025-10-29 http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/october/sudan-carnage-in-al-fasher-must-end http://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-office-prosecutor-situation-el-fasher-north-darfur http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-137/en/ http://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/al-fasher-a-calculated-campaign-of-destruction http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/31/sudan-rsf-accused-pr-stunt-after-arresting-fighters-behind-civilian-killings http://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251028-warnings-grow-of-executions-ethnic-cleansing-in-sudan-s-el-fasher http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/28/mass-killings-reported-el-fasher-sudan-paramilitary-group-rapid-support-forces   27 Oct. 2025   Sudan: Appalling reports of summary executions and other serious violations, as RSF makes major territorial gains in El Fasher and North Kordofan. (OHCHR)   The UN Human Rights Office is receiving multiple, alarming reports that the Rapid Support Forces are carrying out atrocities, including summary executions, after seizing control of large parts of the besieged city of El Fasher, North Darfur and of Bara city in North Kordofan state in recent days.   “In El Fasher, reports indicate an extremely precarious situation since the RSF yesterday announced its takeover of the army’s 6th Infantry Division,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.   “The risk of further large-scale, ethnically motivated violations and atrocities in El Fasher is mounting by the day. Urgent and concrete action needs to be taken urgently to ensure the protection of civilians in El Fasher and safe passage for those trying to reach relative safety.”   The Office has received reports of the summary execution of civilians trying to flee, with indications of ethnic motivations for killings, and of persons no longer participating in hostilities (hors de combat).   Multiple distressing videos received by UN Human Rights show dozens of unarmed men being shot or lying dead, surrounded by RSF fighters who accuse them of being SAF fighters.   Hundreds of people have reportedly been detained while trying to flee. Given past realities in North Darfur, the likelihood of sexual violence against women and girls in particular is extremely high.   The Office has also received reports of numerous civilian deaths, including of local humanitarian volunteers, due to heavy artillery shelling from 22 to 26 October. It is difficult to estimate the number of civilian casualties at this point, given communications cuts and the large number of people fleeing.   Amid severe food shortages and exorbitant prices, the Office has also received disturbing reports of the summary execution of men by RSF fighters for attempting to bring food supplies into the city, which has been under RSF siege for 18 months.   Summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters are also being reported in Bara city, North Kordofan state in western Sudan, after it was captured by the RSF on 25 October following a major offensive. The victims were reportedly accused of supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces. Reports suggest that dozens of civilians have been killed.   “The RSF must urgently take concrete steps to end and prevent abuses against civilians in both El Fasher and Bara, including ethnically motivated violence and reprisal attacks,” Turk said. “I remind the RSF commanders of their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians and to ensure the passage of essential supplies and humanitarian assistance – which just days ago they again publicly committed to doing.”   The High Commissioner underlined that international humanitarian law prohibits violence against individuals no longer participating in hostilities (hors de combat). The use of starvation as a weapon of war is also strictly prohibited.   Turk reiterated his call on Member States with influence to act urgently to prevent the commission of large-scale atrocities by the RSF and allied fighters, and to intensify pressure to end this intolerable conflict.   Ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law by all parties to the conflict is critical to ensure fresh cycles of violations and abuses do not recur.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/sudan-turk-fears-more-atrocities-darfur-warns-kordofan-could-be-next http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/sudan-appalling-reports-summary-executions-and-other-serious-violations-rsf http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166200   UN Relief Chief calls for protection of civilians and their access to aid in El Fasher.   Statement on Sudan by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:   I am deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties and forced displacement amid further escalation of fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in Sudan, where intense shelling and ground assaults have engulfed the city.   With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety.   Safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed to reach all civilians in need. We have lifesaving supplies ready, but intensified attacks have made it impossible for us to get aid in. Local humanitarian workers continue to save lives under fire.   We call for an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, across Darfur and throughout Sudan. Civilians must be allowed safe passage and be able to access aid. Those fleeing to safer areas must be allowed to do so safely and in dignity. Those who stay – including local responders – must be protected. Attacks on civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations must stop immediately.   Those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held to account. All parties to this conflict have strict obligations under international humanitarian law.   http://www.unocha.org/news/emergency-relief-chief-warns-security-council-attacks-el-fasher-recall-horrors-darfur-endured http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/statement-operational-humanitarian-country-team-sudan-attacks-against-civilians-el-fasher http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166514 http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-escalating-violence-sudan-s-el-fasher-forces-thousands-flee   21 Oct. 2025 (OCHA)   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that as escalating violence deepens the already devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s North Darfur State, the UN and its partners continue to scale up their response efforts where access allows.   Yesterday in the town of Tawila, an OCHA team met families who had walked for four days to escape the violence in the besieged state capital El Fasher, which is about 50 kilometres away. On Sunday and Monday alone, some 350 families – mostly women, children and older people – arrived in dire condition, some of them injured along the way. Dozens of young men who fled with the group are still missing, raising serious protection concerns.   The UN and its humanitarian partners have provided food, water and basic medical care to the new arrivals, but needs far exceed available resources. Tawila now hosts more than 600,000 people displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas – and many displaced families lack shelter, adequate food or safe water. OCHA is coordinating with authorities, donors and partners to mobilize additional capacity, resources and support.   On the ground in El Fasher, repeated attacks continue to imperil civilians. Local sources report that yesterday, heavy shelling struck central parts of the city, endangering thousands of civilians in one of El Fasher’s most densely populated areas.   Local authorities report that more than 109,000 people are displaced across 127 sites, most lacking food, clean water and medical care. Several community kitchens shut down last week due to the depletion of supplies.   Once again, OCHA stresses that the siege on El Fasher must be lifted immediately, and safe passage must be ensured for civilians wishing to flee and for humanitarians determined to deliver vital aid.   Elsewhere in North Darfur, a drone strike reportedly hit the main market in Kabkabiya town, underscoring the severe risks facing civilians amid expanding hostilities. In the localities of As Serief and Kernoi, the International Organization for Migration estimates that about 10,000 people were displaced on Sunday due to heightened insecurity. Most have fled to nearby locations within Kernoi.   Meanwhile, in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, drones reportedly struck the international airport at dawn today, just one day before it was due to reopen for domestic flights for the first time since the conflict began.   The attack raises grave concerns over the safety of vital transport infrastructure in the country. OCHA reiterates the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-ukraine-13 http://www.wfp.org/news/iom-unhcr-unicef-and-wfp-urge-immediate-action-address-escalating-humanitarian-crisis-sudan http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/sudan-worlds-largest-humanitarian-crisis-and-children-are-paying-highest-price%C2%A0   Oct. 2025   Joint Statement: Safe Passage: Protection for Civilians Under Siege in El Fasher, Sudan:   Time is running out for the estimated 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, trapped in El Fasher, Darfur’s final battleground between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).   The RSF has besieged the North Darfur capital for over 500 days, using starvation as a weapon of warfare by blocking food and lifesaving humanitarian assistance from entering. They have built over 38km of earthen walls (berms) at the edges of the city to “control population flow from all directions to and from El-Fasher” according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.   The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that there are no safe exit routes from El Fasher. The berms will allow the RSF and allied militias to continue to strangulate the civilian population by blocking the entry of food and medicine into the city and obstructing civilians from fleeing.   We, the undersigned civil society organisations and humanitarian actors, urgently call for safe humanitarian access, including voluntary evacuation routes for the civilians trapped in El Fasher. Evacuation routes need to be secured without delay to provide civilians in El Fasher safe, voluntary, and dignified passage.   Over 470,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas since the start of the siege in May 2024. In the past four weeks, conflict between the belligerents and their allied militias has sharply escalated, along with atrocity crimes against civilians. Testimony from civilians who recently fled El Fasher recount that men and adolescent boys are being killed on the road and that leaving El Fasher is now more dangerous than staying despite the constant daily shelling.   Global paralysis in the response to the Sudan war is contributing to the loss of lives across the country. Words of condemnation will not save lives in El Fasher. However, decisive action by the international community can still prevent the continued massacre of civilians trapped in El Fasher.   It has been almost a year since the UN Secretary General published his recommendations on civilian protection in Sudan. This anniversary marks a year of failure by the international community to make any progress towards protecting civilians in Sudan.   The greatest solution to address civilian protection threats in Sudan is a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire. Whilst negotiations continue, action must be taken to immediately address the protection needs of the population in El Fasher.   A humanitarian access plan must be developed and executed as a matter of urgency, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and with binding agreements from all parties to the conflict to respect and uphold the safety of civilians.   Negotiations on safe passage and humanitarian access should be actively pursued by diplomatic missions, regional entities, and international stakeholders to ensure unimpeded civilian evacuation.   Humanitarian access to El Fasher must be secured to provide life-saving assistance, including medical care, to these vulnerable populations. The humanitarian response across North Darfur must also be scaled up to meet the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) with direct and unrestricted support provided to local groups. 35 hospitals have been attacked since the RSF began their siege on El Fasher.   A significant portion of El Fasher’s population are not able to safely evacuate the city because they are starving, weak, sick, elderly, disabled, or injured. Humanitarian aid must include water, electricity, fuel, food, and medical supplies. Aid access is also urgent to counter confirmed famine and the worst cholera outbreak Sudan has seen in years, having already caused at least 350 deaths in Darfur.   The immediate provision of safe and unhindered passage for people seeking to evacuate from El Fasher is critical to preventing further atrocities. All civilians, who are trying to escape El Fasher must be allowed to do so safely, voluntarily, and without impediments.   The parties engaged in the conflict are obliged under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, ensure safe passage, and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.   The international community has watched the siege of El Fasher and failed to take the actions needed to protect civilians. At this moment, when the atrocity risk is at its highest, there must be a concerted effort to take action and save lives.   http://www.refugeesinternational.org/advocacy-letters/safe-passage-protection-for-civilians-under-siege-in-el-fasher/ http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/north-darfur-deliberate-targeting-civilians-must-stop-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-denise-brown http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/sudan-turk-calls-urgent-action-protect-civilians-and-prevent-large-scale http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/un-experts-demand-urgent-action-protect-civilians-sudan-conflict-intensifies http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/el-fasher-civilians-urgently-need-protection-and-safe-passage-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-denise-brown http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/after-500-days-under-siege-children-sudans-al-fasher-face-starvation-mass http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ingos-condemn-persistent-violations-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-el-fasher-where-civilians-are-starving-and-besieged http://theglobalobservatory.org/2025/11/getting-to-a-stronger-security-council-response-to-the-atrocities-in-el-fasher/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/12/sudan-rapid-support-forces-ruthless-attack-on-zamzam-camp-should-be-investigated-for-war-crimes/   Sep. 2025   “A war of atrocities:” Sudan civilians deliberately targeted, UN Fact-Finding Mission reports international crimes on large-scale. (OHCHR)   Rival forces in Sudan are deliberately targeting the devastated nation’s civilian population, committing atrocities including war crimes on a large scale, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan said in its latest report today. Some acts may also amount to the crimes against humanity, including persecution and extermination.   The report to the UN Human Rights Council, “A War of Atrocities,” found that both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were responsible not only for direct and large-scale attacks against civilians, but also for the extensive destruction of essential infrastructure for survival, including medical centres, markets, food and water systems, and displacement camps.   The report also found that the RSF, during the siege of El Fasher and surrounding areas, committed myriad crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement and persecution on ethnic, gender and political grounds.   The RSF and its allies used starvation as a method of warfare and deprived civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, medicine and relief supplies - which may amount to the crime against humanity of extermination.   “Our findings leave no room for doubt: civilians are paying the highest price in this war,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Both sides have deliberately targeted civilians through attacks, summary executions, arbitrary detention, torture, and inhuman treatment in detention facilities, including denial of food, sanitation, and medical care. These are not accidental tragedies but deliberate strategies amounting to war crimes. The RSF has further committed crimes against humanity, including large-scale killings, sexual and gender-based violence, looting, and the destruction of livelihoods—at times rising to persecution and extermination.”   Civilians are being targeted based on their perceived affiliation with the other side. In El Fasher and surrounding areas, the RSF and its allies carried out large-scale killings of hundreds of civilians, intentionally directing attacks against non-Arab communities including the Zaghawa, Fur, Masalit, and Tunjur, and forcibly displacing populations. In Zamzam camp in April, between 300 and 1,500 civilians — mostly women and children — were massacred. In Gezira, the SAF and its allies targeted the Kanabi community after recapturing the town in January, killing dozens and forcing most residents to flee.   Both parties failed to take sufficient measures to minimize the impact of airstrikes and artillery on civilians and civilian infrastructure. As a result, towns, villages, displacement camps, markets, hospitals and homes have been systematically destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, leaving 12.1 million people displaced and more than half the nation facing acute food insecurity. Only one in four health facilities remains functional in the worst-affected regions.   Humanitarian assistance has been obstructed, convoys attacked, and aid workers targeted. Between April 2023 and April 2025, more than 84 Sudanese humanitarian workers were killed, while others were arbitrarily detained.   The report found that both sides have arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured civilians because of the victims’ ethnicity, political opinion, profession or alleged collaboration with the opposing party. Detainees were frequently held without access to adequate food, sanitation or medical care.   RSF detention centres were described by survivors as “slaughterhouses” where in some cases, detainees were beaten to death and summarily executed. Some were subjected to forced labour or held for ransom, with families forced to pay for their release.   Sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, gang rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery was committed by RSF fighters. Women and girls from non-Arab communities, some as young as 12, were particularly targeted. SAF personnel and allied forces were also implicated in acts of sexualized torture in detention.   “Behind every documented story is a shattered family, a displaced community, a survivor of unimaginable violence,” said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, an expert Member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “We have interviewed numerous civilians who have endured extreme trauma and suffered or witnessed killings, starvation, sexual violence, torture, and the destruction of essential services. The cycle of impunity has emboldened perpetrators for decades. Victims — especially women and children, who bear the greatest burden — deserve justice and reparations.”   The report outlined steps necessary for accountability, emphasizing that justice and protection cannot wait until a peace agreement is reached. Sudan’s domestic institutions remain unwilling and unable genuinely to conduct credible investigations. Instead, they perpetuate selective justice, shield perpetrators through immunities and amnesties, and continue to deny survivors any real prospect of redress.   “Our report not only exposes atrocities, it also lays out a roadmap for justice,” said expert Member Mona Rishmawi. “The international community must act now to enforce the arms embargo, support justice by backing the International Criminal Court, establish an independent judicial mechanism for Sudan, use universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure that those orchestrating atrocities face consequences, including targeted sanctions.”   “Every day of inaction leaves the Sudanese people under attack – their lives, communities, and survival at risk,” Rishmawi said. “Accountability is not optional – it is a legal and moral imperative to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities.”   The Fact-Finding Mission called on the international community to impose targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for international crimes. It also pressed for swift and coordinated action to cease hostilities, protect civilians, lift sieges, and halt ethnic targeting and sexual and gender-based violence. It urged all States, particularly those with influence on the parties, to abide by arms embargoes and refrain from providing them with material support and increase humanitarian assistance.   “Sudan is living through one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and gravest hunger emergencies, with some of its population facing war crimes, persecution and extermination,” Othman said. “The international community has the tools to act. Failure to do so would not only betray the Sudanese people — it would betray the very foundations of international law.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/war-atrocities-sudan-civilians-deliberately-targeted-un-fact-finding-mission http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/ffm-sudan/index http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165784 http://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrc-has-a-moral-and-political-responsibility-to-respond-proportionately-to-the-crisis-in-sudan/   3 June 2025   WFP/UNICEF humanitarian aid convoy carrying life-saving supplies attacked in Sudan’s North Darfur.   "The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF condemn an attack on a joint humanitarian convoy near Al Koma, North Darfur, last night. Five members of the convoy were killed, and several more people were injured. Multiple trucks were burned, and critical humanitarian supplies were damaged.   "The convoy, made up of 15 trucks, was attempting to reach children and families in famine-affected Al Fasher with life-saving food and nutrition supplies. Following months of escalating violence, hundreds of thousands of people in Al Fasher - many of them children - are at high risk of malnutrition and starvation if supplies do not urgently reach them.   "As is standard with our humanitarian convoys, the route was shared in advance, and parties on the ground were notified and aware of the location of the trucks. Under international humanitarian law, aid convoys must be protected, and parties have the obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.   "Both agencies demand an immediate end to attacks on humanitarian personnel, their facilities and vehicles - a violation under international humanitarian law.   "We call for an urgent investigation and for the perpetrators to be held to account.   "We extend our condolences to the families of those killed and our heartfelt sympathy and support to all those injured. It is devastating that the supplies have not reached the vulnerable children and families they were intended to. The convoy had travelled over 1,800km from Port Sudan, and we were negotiating access to complete the journey to El Fasher when it was attacked.   "This latest incident follows a series of attacks on humanitarian operations over the past two years, including last week’s bombardment of WFP’s premises in Al Fasher which damaged a workshop, office building and clinic.   "Attacks on humanitarian staff, aid, operations, as well as civilians and civilian infrastructure in Sudan have continued for far too long with impunity. WFP and UNICEF colleagues remain on the ground despite the insecurity, but call for safe, secure operating conditions and for international humanitarian law to be respected by all parties. The lives of millions in Sudan, including in locations like El Fasher in Darfur, depend on it."   UN Relief Chief issues call to action for protection and accountability for the people of Sudan:   "Again and again, the international community has said that we will protect the people of Sudan. The people of Sudan should ask us if, when and how we will start to deliver on that promise. For their country has become a grim example of twin themes of this moment: indifference and impunity.   We sound again the alarm. This is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. 30 million people need lifesaving aid – half the population. A war that should be ended rages without mercy. From Kordofan to Darfur, it has left civilians trapped, starving, without the basics they need for their survival. Indiscriminate shelling, drone attacks and other air strikes kill, injure and displace people in staggering numbers.   The health system has been smashed to pieces, with cholera, measles and other diseases spreading. And now the lean season is arriving. Our appeals are pitifully supported. Where is the funding?   Meanwhile, hospitals and displacement camps have been attacked, critical infrastructure destroyed, and aid trucks hit, preventing them from getting food and essential supplies to those in such desperate need.   Last week’s deadly attack on a UN humanitarian convoy in North Darfur again demonstrated the vanishing protection for civilians – including aid workers. The human cost of this war – including horrific sexual violence – has been repeatedly reported and condemned, but talk has not translated into real protection for civilians or safe, unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarians.   Where is the accountability? We call on all with influence to step up. Protect civilians. Guarantee safe access for humanitarians. Fund their work. Insist on agreements to humanitarian pauses and other arrangements that can allow us to safely reach the areas and people worst hit. Work harder to secure a lasting, inclusive and just peace.   Despite cuts and danger, the humanitarian movement will not stop working to reach those in need. Let this time not be defined by indifference and impunity, but by a revival in human solidarity for those in greatest need, and determination to hold to account those responsible for it."   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/wfpunicef-humanitarian-aid-convoy-carrying-life-saving-supplies-attacked-sudans http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-issues-call-action-protection-and-accountability-people-sudan http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/06/sudan-war-intensifying-devastating-consequences-civilians-un-fact-finding http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/attacks-civilians-and-civilian-infrastructure-sudan-must-stop-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-ai-sudan-kristine-hambrouck http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/port-sudan-drone-attacks-call-protect-civilian-infrastructure-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/sudan-un-expert-calls-end-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure-amidst http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/sudan-crisis-two-years-on http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/news-comment-two-years-sudan-catastrophe-world-cannot-afford-ignore http://dataviz.unhcr.org/product-gallery/2025/04/sudan-crisis-deepens-but-attention-wanes-after-two-years-of-war/ http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan
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