Sudan’s Escalating Crisis: UN Warns of Rights Catastrophe Amid Global Inaction

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged both warring parties and global powers to act decisively, warning that the country is teetering on the edge of collapse.

As Sudan’s devastating civil conflict nears its third year, the United Nations has issued a stark warning about the worsening human rights crisis and the alarming silence from the international community. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged both warring parties and global powers to act decisively, warning that the country is teetering on the edge of collapse.

“Death, Deprivation, and Suffering”: A Nation in Crisis

Since April 2023, Sudan has been caught in a brutal struggle for power between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence, originally concentrated in urban areas such as Khartoum, has now spread to nearly every corner of the country, with devastating consequences for civilians.

“As hostilities have expanded in reach and intensity over the past year, the lives and hopes of so many Sudanese have been uprooted and caught in a mire of death, deprivation and suffering,” said Türk. “Two years of this brutal and senseless conflict must be a wake-up call to the parties to lay down their weapons and for the international community to act. Sudan must not remain on this destructive path.”

A War Fueled by Profit and Power

Beyond the military confrontation, the conflict is deeply rooted in economic exploitation. Both national and international actors are reportedly profiting from Sudan’s vast natural resources—including gold, livestock, and gum arabic—fuelling what Türk called a “war economy.” These revenues are not only prolonging the violence but also encouraging the looting and monopolization of vital sectors.

Weapons continue to flow into Sudan, despite a UN Security Council arms embargo in place for Darfur. Türk condemned the ongoing arms trade, calling for a comprehensive embargo across the entire country. “All those involved in facilitating the transfer of arms and military material to Darfur must stop, in line with their obligations,” he stressed.

Mounting Atrocities and Ethnic Violence

The humanitarian cost of the conflict is staggering. Civilians in urban centers and rural communities alike have faced indiscriminate bombings, massacres, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Hospitals, water facilities, and power plants have become battlegrounds or targets, leaving millions without essential services.

Both sides have repeatedly violated international humanitarian and human rights law. Summary executions, retaliatory killings, and ethnically targeted attacks are now commonplace. One particularly horrifying example occurred in late March when SAF forces allegedly executed dozens of civilians in Khartoum, accusing them of supporting the RSF. Similar atrocities by the RSF have been reported in North and West Darfur, targeting communities based on ethnic identity.

Women and Children: Victims of a War Without Mercy

Sexual violence has become a defining feature of the conflict. Reports from the UN and other humanitarian agencies describe widespread rape, gang rape, abduction, and sexual slavery of women and girls. Survivors often face stigma and lack of access to medical or psychological support.

Children, too, are bearing a disproportionate burden. Over 17 million children are currently out of school, some forcibly recruited into armed groups, while others face malnutrition and disease. “The brutal conflict in Sudan is not only laying waste to today’s Sudan, but also practically decimating Sudan’s future,” said Türk.

Silencing Civil Society

As the conflict drags on, Sudan’s civic space is being aggressively dismantled. Journalists, activists, humanitarian workers, and human rights defenders face threats, arbitrary detention, torture, and disappearances. This climate of fear has hindered aid delivery and stifled voices calling for peace, reform, and accountability.

Türk noted that enforced disappearances and targeted harassment have become systemic, especially in areas heavily contested by the warring factions.

A Nation on the Brink of Total Collapse

The scale of displacement and humanitarian need is staggering. An estimated 12.6 million people have fled their homes, and 24.6 million are experiencing acute food insecurity. Entire regions remain inaccessible to aid agencies due to continued fighting or bureaucratic obstruction.

There are heightened fears of further escalation, particularly in El Fasher, North Darfur, where the RSF has laid siege to the city, reportedly preparing for a large-scale assault. Violence is also spreading to Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Northern State—regions that have historically remained on the margins of Sudan’s conflicts but now face growing instability.

A Call for International Accountability and Action

Türk emphasized that the international community must stop treating Sudan as a “forgotten crisis.” He urged the expansion of the Darfur arms embargo to cover the entire country, the opening of humanitarian corridors, and the launch of a credible, inclusive peace process.

“It is absolutely critical to ensure respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law and deliver accountability for the widespread breaches which have occurred over the last two years,” he said. “The fighting must stop. We need to see the start of an inclusive process that fosters social cohesion and addresses the root causes of the conflict, including entrenched impunity.”

As Sudan teeters on the edge, the world faces a critical test: whether to act decisively in support of peace, justice, and human dignity—or to stand by and watch a nation unravel in silence.