Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
November 14, 2025 Peace and security
Thousands of people are reportedly remaining in El Fasher after armed forces captured the North Darfur capital last month following a lengthy siege. Their loved ones, who had fled earlier, have lost contact with those who were unable to leave.
Meanwhile, from El Fasher comes terrifying informationThe blockade has forced people to eat peanut shells and animal feed, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. He condemned the mass killings of civilians, ethnically motivated executions, and other crimes reportedly continuing in the region.
At a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk told member states that traces of blood in El Fasher were visible even from space.
"We warned that the seizure of the city by the Rapid Reaction Force would lead to bloodshed," he said, calling for immediate international action to stop the violence. The UN's top human rights official made this statement while speaking at a special meeting of the Council.
“All parties to this conflict must know: we are watching you, and justice will prevail,” the High Commissioner emphasized.
Horrors of war
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 100,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding villages in the past two weeks alone.
"Many of them continue to wander," said Jacqueline Wilma Parlevliet, head of the UNHCR office in Port Sudan. Families arriving in Tawila, located approximately 50 kilometers from El Fasher, report "unimaginable horrors" before and after their flight, she noted.
At a video briefing for journalists in Geneva, Parlevlit drew attention to numerous messages about rape and other sexual violence, and the desperation of people trying to find refuge.
"Parents are searching for their missing children, many of whom are in a state of psychological shock due to the conflict and the dangerous journey. Unable to pay ransom, families are losing young male relatives – they are arrested or forcibly recruited into armed groups," explained a UNHCR representative.
Those seeking safety away from El Fasher are forced to take increasingly dangerous routes, bypassing military checkpoints. Some have spent 15 days reaching shelter with minimal food and water.
The small town of El Debba on the banks of the Nile in northern Sudan is home to at least 37,000 residents of El Fasher, with thousands more reportedly attempting to reach it. There are also reports that armed groups are forcibly returning many people back to El Fasher, where conditions remain dire, UNHCR emphasized, citing local sources.
"Thousands of people – especially the elderly, the disabled, and the wounded – remain trapped, either because they are prevented from leaving the city or because they lack the strength or means to escape," Parlevlit said.
A crisis of colossal proportions
Sudan is experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis to date, with more than 12 million people forced to flee their homes and seek refuge either within the country or abroad.
Unexploded ordnance poses a significant threat to many people attempting to return home in other parts of this East African country, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). According to UNMAS, 13 million square kilometers of land remain contaminated in the states of South Kordofan, West Kordofan, and Blue Nile alone.
"Many other countries also have problems with explosive remnants of war and mines… But Sudan is a special case. Why? Because the war is taking place primarily in urban areas," said UNMAS Sudan Director Sediq Rashid, speaking from Port Sudan.
He explained that even in the capital Khartoum, people face risks from ammunition, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.
Displaced families who settle in unfamiliar areas "without any knowledge of past conflicts or contamination" are particularly vulnerable, Rashid noted.
Meanwhile, the number of civilian casualties from mines and other unexploded ordnance continues to rise. "We know that the reported cases represent only a small fraction of the true scale of the damage," added the UNMAS representative.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.