UN, G7 decry Sudan war anniversary, demand end to fighting, aid access
April 15, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS/LONDON) – The United Nations and the Group of Seven major industrialized nations on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of Sudan’s devastating war with strong condemnations and urgent calls to end the conflict, halt external support fuelling the fighting, and allow unfettered aid access to prevent widespread famine.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the “senseless conflict,” while the G7 foreign ministers unequivocally condemned the ongoing atrocities and human rights violations, as the war plunges Sudan into the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.
The conflict has forced over 12 million people from their homes, with 3.8 million fleeing to neighbouring countries, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday. Over 30 million people need aid, half the population faces acute hunger, and famine looms.
“The only way to ensure the protection of civilians is to end this senseless conflict,” Guterres said in a statement. He urged an end to the external support and weapons flow driving the war and called on those with influence to use it constructively.
His Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, warned participants at a London conference on Sudan Tuesday about the risk of Sudan’s “permanent fragmentation,” Dujarric relayed.
The U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, called it a “crisis of humanity,” while U.N. agencies highlighted a massive surge in sexual violence used as a weapon of war and a doubling of children needing aid to over 15 million.
The U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) expressed deep concern over mass displacement and aid restrictions in North Darfur. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that up to 400,000 people fled the Zamzam camp near El Fasher recently amid escalating insecurity and restricted access.
Local NGOs reported over 400 people, including aid workers, killed in Zamzam and Um Kadadah in recent days, though verification remains difficult.
Echoing deep concern over the violence, the G7 ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the U.S., along with the EU High Representative, strongly condemned RSF attacks in and around El Fasher, including the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, which caused numerous casualties, including humanitarians. “Civilians must be protected and allowed safe passage,” their statement said.
Disturbed by reports of starvation being used as a method of warfare, the G7 reiterated this is prohibited under international humanitarian law (IHL) and called on warring parties to uphold IHL and Jeddah Declaration commitments, including distinguishing between civilians and combatants.
Both the U.N. and G7 demanded improved humanitarian access. The G7 specifically called on parties to lift impediments, ensure safety for aid workers, and allow access through all border crossings, including via South Sudan and Chad. They also called for the protection of local Emergency Response Rooms and urged parties to refrain from attacking critical infrastructure.
The G7 called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” and urged the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to negotiate meaningfully. “All external actors must cease any support that further fuels the conflict,” the G7 statement declared, referencing the U.N. arms embargo on Darfur.
The G7 ministers stressed that any resolution must be rooted in Sudanese civilian voices, with meaningful inclusion of women, youth, and civil society in peace processes. They also reaffirmed support for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
The U.N. chief and the G7 ministers emphasised their commitment to diplomatic efforts, including through the London conference, to end the crisis.