‘Blood on our hands’: UN aid chief blasts council for ‘apathy’ on Sudan

October 30, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – The U.N. aid chief on Thursday blasted the Security Council for its “apathy” and inaction over Sudan, demanding robust international action to stop atrocities in the city of El Fasher, which he described as a “darker hell.”

In a briefing to the 15-member council, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher questioned the failure to prevent predictable atrocities after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over the North Darfur capital.

“Can anyone here say that we did not know this was coming?” Fletcher asked. “As we sit here today, the horror is continuing. Women and girls are being raped, people mutilated and killed – with utter impunity.”

He cited credible reports of widespread executions and the killing of nearly 500 patients at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, calling it “another example of the depravity with which this war has been fought.”

Fletcher urged the council and member states to take immediate action, first by stopping the flow of arms into the conflict and insisting on accountability for those carrying out killings and sexual violence.

Second, he demanded full and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan. “Humanitarians simply asking that we be allowed to do our jobs and save lives is not working,” Fletcher stated. “We ask you to use your muscle to create genuine pressure to ensure this.”

Third, he made an urgent plea for funding, revealing that the 2025 humanitarian response plan is 74% unfunded, forcing aid agencies to halve food rations.

Comparing the situation to the horrors in Darfur 20 years ago, Fletcher condemned what he called a global reaction of “resignation.”

“Blood on the sand,” he said, referencing satellite imagery of the city. “Blood on the hands,” he added, referring to the world’s failure to stop the violence.

“Where is our diplomacy? Where are our values? Where is our Charter? And where is our conscience?” he asked the council.