The United Nations has issued a stark warning that Sudan’s warring factions are deliberately obstructing humanitarian aid, exacerbating famine and committing war crimes as the conflict enters its third year with no end in sight.
In a damning report presented to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan revealed that both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are systematically denying civilians access to lifesaving assistance, effectively turning aid into a weapon of war.
The report detailed how the SAF has imposed crippling bureaucratic restrictions on relief operations, while the RSF has looted aid convoys and blocked their movement entirely.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred on June 2, when a UN convoy bound for El Fasher was bombed in Al Koma, killing five UN staff members.
The RSF has repeatedly shelled the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher and, in May, launched a drone strike on Obeid International Hospital in North Kordofan, killing six civilians and shutting down one of the region’s few remaining functional clinics.
“Those with influence must act now to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, and to avoid complicity in grave violations,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission.
The conflict has seen a sharp increase in the use of heavy weapons in populated areas, with both sides accused of indiscriminate attacks. In El Fasher, the RSF has been implicated in mass killings, village burnings, and widespread looting.
Between April 10-13, 2025, an RSF assault reportedly left over 100 civilians dead, while an SAF airstrike in ‘Al Koma’ killed at least 15 more.
The Mission also documented a surge in sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in RSF-controlled displacement camps, where women and girls face rape, gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery, and forced marriage.
The UN urged the international community to enforce the arms embargo under UN Security Council Resolution 1556, warning that continued weapons flows fuel atrocities.
“What began as a political crisis has become a human rights catastrophe marked by international crimes,” said Mona Rishmawi, a member of the Fact-Finding Mission.
“It is unconscionable that civilians continue to bear the brunt of this war.”
With millions facing famine and no peace talks in sight, the UN’s findings underscore the urgent need for global action to prevent further atrocities in Sudan.
