UN warns of ‘hellscape’ in Sudan as conflict rages

February 26, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – The conflict in Sudan has turned parts of the country into a “hellscape,” the United Nations said on Monday, with millions displaced and facing acute hunger.

In a briefing to the Security Council, Edem Wosornu, Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a grim picture of the situation in Sudan.

“Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape,” Wosornu said.

Wosornu highlighted the alarming developments in North Darfur, Khartoum, and the south of the country.

In North Darfur, violence has intensified in and around the Zamzam displacement camp, where famine conditions have been confirmed.

Satellite imagery confirms the use of heavy weaponry in and around Zamzam, and the destruction of market facilities within the camp.

Many people have been killed, including at least two humanitarian workers.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been forced to halt its operations in the camp due to the deteriorating security situation.

The World Food Programme has also suspended voucher-based food assistance in the camp.

In Khartoum, civilians continue to be directly impacted by ongoing fierce fighting.

The United Nations Human Rights Office has verified reports of summary executions of civilians in areas that have changed hands.

In the south of the country, fighting is spreading into new areas, posing yet more risks for civilians and further complicating movements of humanitarian personnel and supplies.

Wosornu concluded her briefing with three key asks: protection of civilians, access for humanitarian workers, and funding.

“The people of Sudan deserve better from their leaders and from the international community,” Wosornu said.

“Now more than ever, the people of Sudan need your action.”