Sudan urges UN intervention to save lives in besieged El Fasher
April 6, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s government has called on the United Nations (UN) to intervene urgently to save civilians facing starvation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, and surrounding areas due to a siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a government spokesperson said Sunday.
The appeal comes amid fears that severe shortages and soaring prices could cause widespread death from hunger. The situation follows nearly a year of siege by the RSF, which residents say has intensified recently.
On Saturday, Sovereign Council member Ibrahim Jabir met with a UN delegation led by Deputy Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Kristina Hamburg. The Information Minister, the Foreign Ministry Undersecretary, and the Acting Humanitarian Aid Commissioner also attended, according to state media.
Spokesperson and Information Minister Khalid Aleisir, in a statement released by the Sovereign Council, said, “The Sudanese government has asked the United Nations to intervene using its aircraft and transporters, under its banner, to save the lives of citizens in El Fasher and its surrounding areas.”
Aleisir added that the government asked UN representatives to document alleged RSF crimes against civilians, including shelling and the siege, and report them to relevant UN bodies.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on March 26 that fighting and the collapse of services endangered the lives of 825,000 children in El Fasher and the nearby Zamzam camp for displaced people.
Aid operations have been severely hampered. The World Food Programme (WFP) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) recently suspended activities in the Zamzam camp, located 12 km (about 7.5 miles) from El Fasher and facing famine conditions. Their withdrawal followed at least four RSF ground attacks accompanied by artillery shelling, the latest reported on Saturday.
During Saturday’s meeting, Sovereign Council member Jabir urged UN agencies to exert more pressure on the RSF to allow humanitarian aid into displacement camps around El Fasher.
He stated the government’s commitment to cooperating with all relevant parties to facilitate aid delivery to those in need in the city.
Kristina Hamburg, speaking for the UN delegation, said the UN was prepared to present a proposal to all parties to help address the dire humanitarian situation in El Fasher and Zamzam.
Separately, leaders of the Zamzam camp and commanders of a local joint defence force rejected a proposal by two armed movements for safe passage corridors from El Fasher and the Zamzam, Abushouk, and Abuja camps towards Tawila and Korma, also in North Darfur. They cited escalating threats of a new RSF offensive as the reason for the rejection.