El Fasher faces one of Sudan’s worst humanitarian crises, says U.N. Fletcher
November 16, 2025 (TAWILA) – Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that El Fasher in North Darfur state is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in Sudan, after being “sealed off” for more than 560 days, while the number of people fleeing to more crowded and vulnerable areas increases.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El Fasher on October 26 after imposing a prolonged siege, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid, which led to widespread famine. They also prevented civilians from leaving via many routes and carried out horrific killings and ethnic liquidations, according to field testimonies from those who fled the city.
Fletcher told Sudan Tribune on Friday during his visit to the Tawila area, which has received thousands of displaced people from El Fasher, that satellite images and testimonies from escapees reveal “horrific accounts” including rape, torture, and extortion. “I mean, it’s a horror show,” he said.
He affirmed that the situation is “terrifying” and the crisis exceeds the ability of humanitarian workers to respond.
The U.N. official, who was staying overnight in Tawila, met women who he said had endured “the most terrible horrors of the El Fasher siege.”
He explained that the U.N. is working to send an assessment team to El Fasher with full security guarantees and freedom of movement, and is also trying to evacuate the wounded “who can’t leave on their own accord” and secure safe passages for civilians wishing to leave.
He said the priority is “to build a clearer picture of the needs” inside the hard-to-reach city.
The siege imposed by the RSF on El Fasher since April 2024 led to a widespread hunger crisis, forcing civilians to eat livestock feed due to the prevention of food and medicine supplies from reaching the city, coinciding with the destruction of markets and retail shops.
The U.N. official noted that the region has seen a massive influx of arrivals in recent weeks, exhausting the population and organisations.
He said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is deploying more staff to Darfur, noting the release of $20 million from the U.N.’s global emergency fund (CERF), in addition to extra funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to support “national actors, local actors.”
However, the U.N. official emphasised that “we clearly need far, far more” and that “complete, unimpeded access” across Darfur, including via the Adre border crossing, is necessary.
He pointed out that the Adre crossing via Chad is still open. “I drove through Adré uh earlier this week, as I did um a year ago in my first week in the job,” he said, calling the point “absolutely crucial” for operations.
“I’m grateful to the authorities in Chad and Sudan for keeping that border open. We need that border to stay open,” he added.
He said he raised the issue with authorities in Port Sudan earlier this week “to make sure that Adré stays open uh after December.” He noted that more than 2,000 trucks have crossed it since August 2024.
Regarding accusations of using starvation as a weapon, Fletcher said U.N. teams had passed through “many RSF-controlled areas and checkpoints” in recent days en route from Adre to Tawila. He stressed that opening the roads to El Fasher for relief passage and civilian exit is a “huge priority.”
He added that the presence of international staff in North Darfur is a “good start, but it’s just a start” that requires a larger presence and broader international engagement.
The U.N. official warned of an operational collapse due to funding shortages, describing the shortfalls as “catastrophic.”
“The team under the uh humanitarian coordinator are doing everything they can, and we’re channelling more support to local responders who are in the vanguard now of the response,” Fletcher said.
He explained that this year’s $4 billion appeal has received “less than one-third” of its needs. “So we’re fast-tracking resources from the pooled funds and trying to get donors to step up with more flexible support,” he added.
He stated that the U.N. urgently requires $500 million for the upcoming quarter, as 600,000 people in nine localities are currently inaccessible due to ongoing fighting. He added that if a ceasefire and access are provided, operations will need an additional $350 million to cover needs for the next three months.
“These are big numbers, um but it’s because the scale of the needs is so great. And, you know, we need to turn this situation round,” he stated.
Responding to accusations of diplomatic failure, Fletcher replied that the U.N. calls on every country with influence to “use it right now.” He added that civilians “are not protected by statements” or “words alone.”
“They need real pressure on the parties. And that means all the key players in the region, it means the Security Council players, member states more widely,” he urged.
He demanded protection for civilians, accountability for atrocities, unimpeded access for aid, and increased international funding. “These are essentials now if the world is going to meet the moment,” he concluded.
In a tweet on platform (X) on Saturday, Fletcher said he met mothers and caregivers of malnourished children in the town of Tawila.
He added, “The world has failed to protect them. We must not fail them again.”
Tawila, which before the war was a remote town surrounded by villages lacking services, has become a shelter for 655,000 displaced people, most of whom fled El Fasher. 21% of them reside in camps, while 74% have settled in informal settlements and open gathering places.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report published on Oct. 29 that 98% of families in Tawila lack sleeping items like blankets, mattresses, and mosquito nets. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) confirmed that families are forced to sleep in the open, increasing the risks of women and girls being exposed to violence, exploitation, and abuse.
The IOM reported that 86% of the displaced in Tawila suffer from poor food consumption, and 30% of children under five are thin or not growing well.