Tag Archives: Sudan

World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Sudan, Guterres calls for unity ahead of Ramadan

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Fresh waves of violence in Sudan and neighbouring South Sudan are pushing fragile communities into deeper crisis, with attacks on towns, health facilities and aid infrastructure forcing thousands to flee and leaving humanitarian agencies scrambling to respond.

Over the past week, conflict has intensified in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, where more than a dozen attacks were reported around the towns of El Obeid, Bara, Rahad and Um Rawaba. The violence is part of a broader deterioration in security conditions across several regions already battered by prolonged conflict.

Attacks Spread Across Kordofan

In South Kordofan, suspected drone strikes targeted health facilities in Kadugli, the state capital, as well as in the town of Kuweik. According to early reports, the strikes killed at least four medical workers and injured more than 20 others.

Aid officials say the attacks on medical infrastructure have further strained already fragile health services in the region. Hospitals and clinics have struggled to cope with rising casualties while dealing with shortages of medicine, equipment and trained staff.

The renewed violence has also raised alarm among international observers. A recent report by the United Nations Human Rights Office warned that systematic attacks against civilians in Sudan’s Darfur region during late 2025 may amount to crimes against humanity.

Displacement And Humanitarian Needs Rising

The escalating fighting is triggering fresh displacement across several parts of Sudan.

UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the violence was forcing large numbers of people to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere.

“The violence is triggering a new wave of displacement, with reports of many fleeing homes and in need of food, health care and protection,” he said during a briefing on Friday.

Humanitarian agencies say the situation is particularly worrying in the towns of Dilling and Kadugli, where conditions continue to deteriorate. Aid groups have warned that without immediate access to affected areas, relief operations will struggle to meet growing needs.

Drone strikes have also damaged telecommunications infrastructure, commercial vehicles and major transport routes. The disruptions have slowed the movement of humanitarian supplies and staff, complicating efforts to deliver aid.

The United Nations has urged all parties involved in the conflict to ensure the protection of humanitarian facilities and to allow safe and unhindered access for relief operations.

Violence Spills Into South Sudan

Meanwhile, the humanitarian outlook in South Sudan is also worsening.

Since late December 2025, violence has surged across northern and central regions of the country, according to the UN children’s agency UNICEF.

In Jonglei state alone, at least 280,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. Aid officials say most of those forced to flee are women and children.

Many families have sought refuge in displacement camps originally set up during earlier phases of South Sudan’s civil war. Others are sheltering in remote areas with little or no access to basic services.

Children account for more than half of the displaced population. UNICEF warns that many of them face grave risks, including recruitment by armed groups, family separation and gender-based violence.

Children in Gaza hold lanterns to celebrate the advent of Ramadan. (file)

Health System Near Collapse

The continuing violence has pushed South Sudan’s already fragile health system to the brink.

UNICEF says at least 11 health facilities have been attacked or looted since the latest surge in fighting began. Several nutrition centres have also been forced to shut down.

At the same time, a cholera outbreak has added further strain. Nearly 500 cases have been reported nationwide, overwhelming treatment centres and stretching limited medical resources.

Aid agencies estimate that about 825,000 children in Jonglei, Unity and Eastern Equatoria states are now at risk of acute malnutrition. Without urgent treatment, severely malnourished children face dramatically higher mortality risks.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian organisations continue to operate health, nutrition and child protection programmes in several parts of the country.

Global Appeal For Peace During Ramadan

Against the backdrop of these crises, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the international community to embrace unity and compassion as Muslims around the world prepare to observe the holy month of Ramadan.

He described Ramadan as a time of reflection and hope, but acknowledged that for many people living in conflict zones—from Gaza and Yemen to Afghanistan and Sudan—peace remains elusive.

“For Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan is a sacred period of reflection and prayer. Ramadan also represents a noble vision of hope and peace.” Mr. Guterres said in a message ahead of the start on Tuesday. “May this Holy Month inspire us to work as one to build a more peaceful, generous and just world for all people,” he said.

Calling for greater solidarity, Guterres urged governments and humanitarian actors to work together to bridge divisions, deliver aid to vulnerable communities and uphold the dignity and rights of people affected by war.

He expressed hope that the spirit of Ramadan would inspire renewed efforts to build a more peaceful and just world.

World News in Brief: Violence, Terror Attacks And Digital Security Dominate Global Concerns At UN

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Rising conflict, humanitarian emergencies and growing concerns over critical digital infrastructure dominated recent discussions involving United Nations agencies and global leaders, with crises unfolding from South Sudan to Pakistan and new efforts launched to safeguard global communications networks.

Fighting In South Sudan Displaces Thousands

Renewed violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state has triggered a large-scale humanitarian crisis, forcing at least 250,000 people to flee their homes since the beginning of 2026.

The clashes, concentrated in northern and central parts of the state, have left families cut off from basic services in regions already struggling with some of the country’s worst malnutrition rates.

UNICEF warned that the situation poses a grave threat to children, many of whom are already suffering from severe food shortages.

“We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these violent clashes,” said UNICEF’s country representative in South Sudan, Noala Skinner. “A malnourished child without treatment is 12 times more likely to die.”

Humanitarian agencies face major obstacles in reaching affected communities. Movement by road, river and air remains heavily restricted, making it difficult to deliver emergency assistance.

Several areas are running dangerously low on therapeutic food used to treat severely malnourished children. Six counties in Jonglei are close to exhausting these supplies.

Across the country, at least 17 health facilities have been forced to shut down due to insecurity, further weakening an already fragile healthcare system.

UNICEF has also reported ten incidents in which health and nutrition supplies were looted.

Despite the challenges, aid workers continue to deliver support where possible. The organisation has sent water purification equipment to prevent potential cholera outbreaks and delivered malaria treatment kits, emergency medical supplies and therapeutic food intended to reach more than 10,000 people.

UN Condemns Deadly Attacks In Pakistan

Meanwhile, the United Nations has strongly condemned a series of violent attacks in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan that left dozens of people dead, including children.

UNICEF expressed deep concern after reports confirmed that children were among those killed or injured during the attacks last weekend.

“Children cannot be targets nor collateral damage, and their lives must always be protected,” said UNICEF representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside.

She extended condolences to the victims’ families and warned that escalating violence is creating fear and insecurity among communities.

The attacks took place on January 31 and were later condemned by the UN Security Council.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, council members described the violence as “heinous and cowardly” acts of terrorism that resulted in the deaths of 48 people, including 31 civilians.

Among the civilian victims were five women and three children.

Authorities say the attacks were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant group. Local officials later told reporters that security forces killed 145 members of the banned organisation in subsequent operations.

The Security Council expressed its deepest sympathy to the victims’ families and to the government and people of Pakistan, while wishing those injured a full recovery.

Global Summit Focuses On Submarine Cable Security

In a separate development, governments and industry representatives from more than 70 countries gathered in Porto, Portugal, to address growing concerns over the security and resilience of submarine communication cables.

These undersea cables carry the majority of the world’s digital traffic and form the backbone of global internet connectivity.

During the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit 2026, participants adopted a declaration aimed at strengthening international cooperation to protect the network.

Today roughly 500 submarine cables stretch across more than 1.7 million kilometres of ocean floor, linking continents and supporting the global digital economy.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said safeguarding these systems is a shared responsibility.

“When it comes to critical digital infrastructure like submarine cables, resilience is both an end-to-end imperative and a shared responsibility,” she said.

Participants also discussed ways to improve repair times, strengthen monitoring systems and increase investment in infrastructure protection.

Protecting Connectivity For Vulnerable Regions

Experts at the summit warned that cable disruptions can have serious consequences, particularly for smaller countries and remote island communities that rely on only a few connections to the global network.

Sandra Maximiano, chairwoman of Portugal’s telecommunications regulator ANACOM, said international cooperation would be key to reducing the risks.

“I firmly believe the advisory body is already delivering concrete and meaningful impact,” she said, pointing to ongoing efforts to improve preparedness and response capabilities.

The Porto meeting followed the first global summit on submarine cable resilience held in Abuja, Nigeria, as governments and technology leaders seek stronger collaboration to protect one of the world’s most critical digital systems.

Sudan: Intensifying hostilities bring new displacement, more casualties

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Hostilities have been intensifying between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and two armed groups – the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia that has been battling the military government for control since April 2023 and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.

Over the weekend, drone attacks targeted a UN base killing six peacekeepers from the UNIFSA mission, while another six people were killed in a hospital attack in South Kordofan State, according to initial information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Meanwhile, OCHA said artillery shelling was reported on Monday, posing further threats to civilians.

“I urge all parties to the conflict and States with influence to ensure an immediate ceasefire and to prevent atrocities,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a statement.

Mr. Türk also cautioned that medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law.

New displacement

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from multiple towns in South Kordofan.

Meanwhile, in North Darfur State, displacement continues to rise from the besieged El Fasher into Tawila, where the UN is delivering emergency aid.

More than 25,000 people in Twila have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme danger.

Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila in November and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region.

Attacks against peacekeepers

Providing an update at Tuesday’s noon briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the wounded peacekeepers who underwent lifesaving surgery in Kadugli, Sudan, were evacuated to the UN mission headquarters in the disputed Abyei region on Tuesday morning.

Other injured personnel were also evacuated there, and four of them have since been sent to Nairobi, Kenya, for further medical treatment.

The remains of the six fallen soldiers have been transported to Entebbe, Uganda, and arrangements are underway for their repatriation to Bangladesh.

Mr. Haq underscored that “attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and call for accountability.”

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Sudan War: Cholera Vaccination Campaign Begins in Darfur

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The World Health Organization (WHO)’s Deputy Representative to the country Hala Khudari reported on Tuesday that the outbreak, which started in July 2024 in Kassala, has spread to all 18 states of the country.

More than 113,600 cases have been registered so far and over 3,000 deaths – a “concerning case fatality rate” of 2.7 per cent.

Speaking from Port Sudan, she said that the past year saw surges in White Nile and Khartoum among other states, resulting from the impact of the conflict and increased population movement. This critical situation has been compounded by severely limited basic services such as water, food and health, caused by ongoing heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through bacteria-contaminated food and water. According to WHO, it can kill within hours when not treated, and case fatality rates above one per cent indicate “serious gaps in case management and delayed access to care”.

Conditions ripe for disease

The resurgence of cholera in Sudan has been fuelled by heavy rains and flooding, overcrowding and lack of access to clean water in displacement sites and within communities.

In the Darfur region, where cholera has been spreading since May, the number of cases continues to increase amid “severe access constraints” which are impeding the response, including inaccessible roads due to the rainy season, Ms. Khudari said. As of two days ago 12,739 cases and 358 deaths were reported in more than half of all the localities of the five Darfur states.

In certain localities in West Darfur, the case fatality rate has been as high as 11.8 per cent, she said.

Ms. Khudari explained that WHO and partners have been working to control the outbreak with a vaccination campaign in the worst-hit communities. It began last Sunday “after weeks of preparations to overcome access, transport and logistical challenges”.

The campaign aims to protect 1.86 million people in six priority localities of the Darfurs.

The WHO representative said that the “biggest challenge” in launching the campaign was to “actually get the vaccines there”. She described the difficulties in delivering the life-saving immunizations and supporting supplies via “long routes” to Nyala in South Darfur state earlier this month, amid ongoing security concerns.

El Fasher survivors

Preparations are ongoing to launch the campaign by the end of September in Tawila in North Darfur State, which hosts more than 575,000 internally displaced people, most of whom have fled from the besieged city of El Fasher.

The vaccines are being deployed in Sudan with the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), whose spokesperson Ricardo Pires raised the alarm over the severe risks of cholera for children.

Children under five have been “disproportionately affected”, he told reporters, and so far at least 380 have died.

Access to life-saving treatment for cholera in Sudan is limited as the almost two-and-a-half-year-old violent conflict has devastated the health system.

The outbreak comes at a time when “more than 70 per cent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are non-operational, with health centres being damaged or destroyed during the conflict, lacking supplies and even staff, as well as facilities being often used as shelter,” Mr. Pires stressed.

The UNICEF spokesperson also underscored the impact of “relentless” attacks on the country’s power and water infrastructure which have off cut millions of people including many children from safe and clean water, forcing families to collect water from unsafe and contaminated sources.

 

Deadly Attacks, Trembling Services Push Sudan Closer to Catastrophe

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According to local reports, heavy shelling and assaults late last week in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, killed at least six civilians and injured scores more, triggering fresh displacement from the already besieged city.

Sudan has been roiled in a brutal civil war between rival militaries – the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated militias. Thousands of civilians have been killed, villages and farmlands destroyed, and nearly 12 million people driven from their homes – over four million as refugees into neighbouring countries.

The country also risks becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis in recent history as infrastructure, trade routes and supply chains lie in ruins. Famine has already been confirmed in the Zamzam camp, which once sheltered hundreds of thousands of civilians – and many more areas are at risk.

Humanitarians warn that essential services are breaking down. Water trucking to the only functioning hospital was suspended over the weekend and community kitchens shut down after running out of food.

Without urgent support, they warn that the most vulnerable people could face severe hunger within days. Across Darfur, hospitals remain under immense strain.

Nearly 100 wounded people, including women and children, were admitted to medical facilities in a single day last week, with several pronounced dead on arrival, according to reports from the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF – Doctors Without Borders).

Survivors who managed to escape El Fasher described “unbearable” conditions in the city, which has endured more than a year of siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups.

Children sit beside makeshift tents in El Fasher, North Darfur, where intensified fighting has left thousands trapped.

Drone strikes on 10 September hit multiple locations across Darfur, injuring scores. A strike landed just four kilometres (about 2.5 miles) from an MSF-supported hospital in Central Darfur, forcing staff to activate a mass casualty plan. The following day, two more strikes struck Nyala in South Darfur, reportedly killing at least four people, including a child.

The fighting is not confined to Darfur. In Khartoum, RSF airstrikes on 9 September damaged a power station, causing a blackout in parts of the capital and disrupting critical hospital equipment and services.

Disasters add to misery

Meanwhile, Sudan is grappling with natural disasters on top of conflict. A landslide triggered by heavy rains on 31 August in Sharg Aj Jabal, near the Central and South Darfur border, killed an estimated 400 people, half of them children, according to local reports.

Furthermore, over 4,000 people were displaced and 550 homes destroyed in Aj Jazirah state in flash floods last week.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan are affected by heavy rains, flash floods and landslides.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stressed that civilians remain at the epicentre of the violence. “[We] once again call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and increased international support to sustain life-saving operations across Sudan,” the Office said.

In Khartoum, OCHA reported some improvements in restoring basic services and security. Yet more than 800,000 people who have returned to the capital in recent months still urgently need assistance to rebuild their lives.

On the political front, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is currently in Port Sudan after concluding consultations in Nairobi.

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Mr. Lamamra has held “very constructive engagements” with Sudanese stakeholders across the spectrum as well as key international interlocutors.

“These discussions will help lay the groundwork necessary to support an inclusive process that can deliver a sustainable solution that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty, its unity and its territorial integrity,” Mr. Dujarric said.

He added that the UN also looks forward to working closely with regional partners, including the African Union, the east African regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the League of Arab States, to restart efforts toward an intra-Sudanese dialogue.

‘Deadly floods’ displace over 100,000 in South Sudan

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In recent weeks, widespread flooding has engulfed large parts of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states in the north of the country.

The agency’s representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney, said that “if the flooding continues, up to 400,000 people are likely to be displaced by the end of the year, exceeding flood displacement levels seen in 2024.”

The situation is expected to be at its worst between September and October and threatens to “cut off entire communities, exacerbate hunger and heighten protection risks, particularly for women and girls,” Ms. Verney added.

For several years, South Sudan has faced an ongoing humanitarian crisis due to underdevelopment, disasters and conflict that has displaced many communities. Recurrent floods have exacerbated this displacement, destroyed homes, and threatened livelihoods across the nation.

“Homes, schools, health facilities, farmlands, and pastures have been flooded,” said the UNHCR representative, “devastating livestock and inundating safe water sources and latrines, which have worsened sanitation and heightened health risks.”

Stagnant water, combined with limited access to safe drinking water, is raising the threat of further disease outbreaks on top of the ongoing cholera crisis, which had already affected over 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,100 refugees by the end of August.

UN continues providing aid

In 2025, UNHCR, in collaboration with the South Sudanese authorities and UN partners, has continued to provide life-saving aid, including cash, emergency shelters, and plastic sheeting to 150,000 of the most vulnerable flood-affected individuals.

Over the past five years work has been carried out to mitigate flood impacts by reinforcing dykes, prepositioning supplies, supporting livelihoods, and assisting displaced communities, including IDPs.

UNHCR has appealed for more funds to carry out its life-saving work. As of 31 July, it had only received a third of the nearly $300 million required to protect and assist displaced people and local host communities in the country.

In Unity state, which is 70 per cent underwater, UNHCR has significantly scaled down operations due to the funding shortfall, leaving thousands of people in a more precarious situation.

Supporting climate resilience

To mitigate the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) recently signed a $9.9 million Climate Resilience Project in South Sudan with the Ministry of Water Resources.

UNOPS continues to support efforts to strengthen climate resilience and assist flood-affected and refugee-hosting communities in South Sudan.

 

Sudan: As children continue to suffer, school remains a distant hope

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After more than two years of civil war, more than 25 million people are now acutely hungry and at least 20 million require health services urgently.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that displaced families in some areas have not received any aid for three months, as it announced that for the first time, funding shortfalls have forced it to pull back support in areas where it does not have access.

“The scale of needs in Sudan are so big that we have to make tough decisions on who receives assistance and who doesn’t. Those are heartbreaking decisions to make,” said WFP’s Leni Kinzli, in an urgent appeal for more international funding to help all those affected by more than two years of war.

Children are especially vulnerable, humanitarians have warned, with malnutrition “surging”, particularly among youngsters and their mothers.

Education the latest victim

According to the UN reproductive health agency UNFPA, and partners working in education, around 13 million of the 17 million youngsters who have remained in Sudan are now out of school.

This includes seven million who are enrolled but unable to attend classes because of the conflict or displacement – plus six million school-age children who haven’t registered for the school year.

Nonetheless, UNFPA said that as of this month, 45 per cent of schools in Sudan – nearly 9,000 – have now re-opened, citing the Global Education Cluster that groups 60 UN and NGO entities.

And while the situation in Sudan remains so dire, going back to school might not appear to be a priority, but aid agencies insist that without it the impact on young lives can be devastating, given how much additional support can be provided in schools, over and above learning.

In schools helped to reopen by UN-partner Save The Children, for instance, additional support includes meals, safe water, sanitation and counselling training for teachers to help youngsters process their trauma.

Picking up the pieces

From November 2024 to July this year, more than two million people have returned to their former homes across Sudan, to some 1,611 locations.

The bulk of these returnees have reached Aj Jazirah (48 per cent), Khartoum (30 per cent), Sennar (nine per cent), Blue Nile (seven per cent) and White Nile (five per cent). The UN migration agency (IOM)’s Displacement Tracking Matrix notes that only around one per cent went to River Nile and West Darfur.

A breakdown of IOM data indicates that around 77 per cent (or 1.5 million) returned from temporary homes inside Sudan, while 23 per cent (around 455,000) came back from abroad.

This is a fraction of the more than 4.2 million refugees who crossed into neighbouring countries since war erupted on 15 April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Other key IOM findings of Sudanese displacement impacting all 18 states:

  • When war erupted, people were uprooted primarily from Khartoum (31 per cent), South Darfur (21 per cent), and North Darfur (20 per cent).   
  • The highest proportion of internally displaced people were in South Darfur (19 per cent), North Darfur (18 per cent), and Central Darfur (10 per cent).
  • Over half (53 per cent) of those fleeing violence were reportedly children.

Case study: Life slipping away

Among the young victims of the conflict, 18-month-old Aysha Jebrellah has been admitted for treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Port Sudan Paediatric Hospital.

Her mother, Aziza, has been by her daughter’s side as medical teams provide lifesaving nutritional support and address the medical complications that Aysha has suffered, linked to her condition.

Aziza was displaced with her family from Khartoum when conflict erupted more than two years ago, fleeing first to Kassala, then moving to Port Sudan where she lives with relatives.

She described how her daughter had diarrhoea and fever for about two weeks before she was admitted to hospital. By that time she had stopped eating and appeared to be slipping away before their eyes.

“When she refused to even taste anything and kept getting weaker, I was afraid I would lose her,” Aziza says. “Now I have hope that she will recover.”

To support health needs in Sudan, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s $135 million appeal is just one-fifth funded. “It’s only a fraction of what is urgently needed,” the agency said.

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World News in Brief: Afghan quake update, diplomacy continues to end Sudan war, UN honours victims of 9/11

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Women and children face heightened risks, while operational challenges – including restrictions on female UN staff – threaten life-saving relief efforts.

The twin quakes, measuring 6.0 and 6.2, struck on 31 August and 4 September, flattening entire villages in Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces. Mountainous terrain and landslides blocked key roads, leaving air transport as the only reliable access. 

Assessments indicate over 6,700 homes were destroyed or damaged, forcing most families to shelter in the open without privacy, clean water, or basic services.

Ensuring critical healthcare

UNFPA, the UN reproductive health agency, has deployed health teams to the hardest-hit areas, providing maternal and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and counselling. More than 9,500 people have received assistance so far.

“Women and children in particular are extremely traumatized,” said a psychosocial counsellor. “Our goal is to support their emotional and mental health and provide whatever assistance we can, including medicines and dignity kits.”

Among the affected, UNFPA estimates some 11,600 pregnant women face heightened risk due to limited access to health services.

“For pregnant women, a natural disaster can turn an already challenging time into a life-threatening crisis,” said UNFPA Representative Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah.

World Health Organization (WHO) mobile teams have been deployed to provide trauma care, maternal and child health services, mental health support, immunizations, and emergency nutrition.

The agency has also dispatched 43 tonnes of medical supplies and provided over 4,500 consultations through its clinics.

Sudan: UN envoy heads to region in call for dialogue towards peace

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has travelled to East Africa to address the ongoing civil conflict there and push for negotiations towards a peace deal.

 In a post on X earlier this week, Mr. Lamamra called on combatants and political actors in Sudan “to engage in constructive dialogue leading to a sustainable solution.”

The goal of the visit is to make progress on the protection of civilians and to strengthen multilateral mediation efforts in the country.

Push for high level consultations

To achieve that, he is working together with the African Union to organize a ministerial-level consultative group meeting in Addis Ababa.

As the rival militaries continue to attack civilians and vital infrastructure, many displaced people and other communities are receiving reduced food assistance, or none at all.

“We continue to reiterate our calls for an end to this conflict that has left 25 million people acutely hungry,” said the UN Secretary General’s Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at a press conference on Thursday.

UN honours 9/11 anniversary, stands with New Yorkers 

Marking the 24th anniversary of the 11 September terror attacks, the UN reaffirmed its enduring solidarity on Thursday with the people of New York, the city where it has been headquartered for nearly 80 years. 

“New York has hosted the United Nations for 80 years and has been the home to many of our colleagues, as well as to diplomats, staff, and of course all the Secretaries-General. We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of New York, as we did 24 years ago,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. 

The attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan claimed nearly 3,000 lives from over 90 countries and left thousands more injured. 

Decades later, survivors and first responders continue to face long-term health challenges, including respiratory illnesses, cancer, and mental health struggles. 

A place to call home

“New York City has hosted our UN Headquarters for decades and is the place many colleagues call home – so do I,” said Secretary-General António Guterres.

“Today, my thoughts are with everyone who lost loved ones on 9/11, and with all the people of New York City,” he added, in a social media post. 

The UN emphasised its ongoing commitment to commemorate the worst terror attack in US history, honouring the victims, and supporting New Yorkers as the city continues its journey of resilience and healing. 

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Downpours stymy aid teams following deadly landslide in war-torn Sudan

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The death toll has not yet been verified as ongoing downpours and rugged terrain are making it extremely difficult to reach the impacted communities, according to the UN migration agency, IOM.

To date, an estimated 150 people were displaced from Tarseen and neighbouring villages, with families now sheltering in nearby communities.

The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, and partners have put a rapid response plan into operation. On Thursday, teams comprising nearly a dozen local and international non-governmental organizations and UN agencies went to the site, travelling part of the way by donkey because of the rugged terrain.

Their mission focused on confirming the number of people affected and assessing and responding to urgent needs, OCHA said.

Transporting critical supplies

Teams also transported critical supplies for up to 750 people, including medical kits, nutrition support, food rations, non-food items and other essential materials.

Mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams were also deployed to provide immediate care on the ground.

The response aims to support the survivors in Tarseen and neighbouring villages affected by the disaster.

“The assessment’s findings will guide the scale-up of assistance, with UN agencies preparing to send more supplies to meet additional needs,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Flooding, escalating violence in North Darfur

Meanwhile, OCHA warned that the situation in El Fasher in North Darfur is worsening, amid escalating violence and now flooding. Local sources report that heavy artillery fire has killed dozens of civilians in recent days.

At the same time, humanitarian access continues to be impeded, and women and girls face grave protection risks, including from sexual violence.

Compounding the crisis in the area, heavy rains and flooding displaced 350 people in Korma Town on Monday, with latrines destroyed at the displacement site. Families have sought shelter with host communities.

Famine and cholera

In recent days, flooding in the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for displaced people close to El Fasher impacted 4,300 residents, destroyed 900 tents and damaged 2,300 houses, according to UN partners on the ground.

“These incidents further deepen the horrific situation in a place that knows famine, and it has been fired upon and been abused,” the UN Spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, cholera continues to surge, with aid partners reporting nearly 8,000 cases in North Darfur and more than 3,800 cases in South Darfur since May, he said.

The outbreak has been heightened by the severe malnutrition, which has doubled in North Darfur over the past year, leaving children particularly vulnerable.

Sudan has been embroiled in war between rival militaries since April 2023.

“We and our partners are supporting the response to the outbreak by providing clean water, health services and conducting cholera vaccination campaigns, despite the serious logistical challenges,” Mr. Dujarric said.

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World News in Brief: Afghanistan quake update, Guterres in Papua New Guinea, Ebola returns to DR Congo, UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

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Since the initial earthquake on Sunday in eastern Nangarhar province, landslides and several strong aftershocks have disrupted the work of rescue teams.

In an update, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that access routes remain blocked in various locations including the districts of Chawkay and Nurgal, both in Kunar province, although the authorities have deployed earth-moving machinery to restore access.

Latest estimates indicate that approximately half a million people have been affected – including 263,000 children – while at least 5,000 homes have suffered partial or total damage.

Tremors continue

Among the UN agencies operating there, UN Habitat noted that the earthquake had caused massive upheaval in a remote region where recent returnees from Pakistan and Iran were just beginning to settle.

“There are still more earthquakes every day in the region, causing landslides and making access even harder,” said UN Habitat’s Stephanie Loose in the capital, Kabul.

She noted that women and girls were the main victims because of strict rules preventing them from leaving their homes alone.

“Many of them, due to cultural norms or restrictions imposed, didn’t dare to leave their houses; nor are there sufficient female doctors in the country, and I understand they are not able to reach the women who would need it,” Ms. Loose said.

Papua New Guinea’s on the frontline of climate change, warns Guterres

Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands are climate change’s “Ground Zero” whose precious rain forests and ecosystems deserve the world’s support to ensure they’re protected, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Speaking from Papua New Guinea where he visited the world’s third largest rainforest and sat down with civil society representatives, António Guterres highlighted the challenges brought about by climate change in the region.

It’s the first ever visit to the southwest Pacific nation by a sitting Secretary-General.

Earlier, he repeated his warning that the 1.5 degree limit on the rise in global temperatures agreed to under the 2015 Paris Agreement remains in jeopardy.

And although scientists say that it is still possible to limit global warming, the UN chief urged countries to unveil their new national climate plans to reduce emissions and “seize the opportunities” arising from the renewable energy revolution.

New Ebola outbreak declared in DR Congo

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai province where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths – including four health workers – have been reported as of Thursday.

The outbreak is concentrated in the Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province, in the south-central region of DRC. Symptoms of the rare – but severe – and often fatal illness, include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhaging.

Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the outbreak as the Ebola Zaire strain.

Experts deployed

A national Rapid Response Team assisted by UN World Health Organization (WHO) experts in epidemiology, infection prevention and control – as well as case management – has been deployed to Kasai province.

Communication experts have also been deployed to reach communities and help them understand how to protect themselves.

Additionally, WHO is delivering two tonnes of supplies including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies.

The area is difficult to reach and at least a day’s drive from the provincial capital Tshikapa, with few air links.   

“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

“Banking on the country’s long-standing expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks, we’re working closely with the health authorities to quickly scale up key response measures to end the outbreak as soon as possible.”

Cases likely to rise

Case numbers are likely to increase as transmission is ongoing.

The country has a stockpile of treatments, as well as 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine already prepositioned in the capital city Kinshasa that will be quickly moved to Kasai to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.   

The DRC’s last outbreak affected the northwestern Equateur province in April 2022.

It was brought under control in under three months thanks to the robust efforts of the health authorities. In Kasai province, previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease were reported in 2007 and 2008. In the country overall, there have been 15 outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976.

UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has condemned an attack by a local armed group which targeted “blue helmets” in Western Equatoria state.

The militants subsequently seized a small cache of weapons and ammunition. The incident occurred while peacekeepers were conducting a patrol between Tambura and Mapuse.

“We emphasise that any attack against peacekeepers may constitute a war crime,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing in New York on Thursday.

“These peacekeepers are deployed to protect civilians at a time when access and security remain fragile across Western Equatoria,” he added.

Meanwhile, widespread flooding is also impacting hundreds of thousands of people in several parts of the world’s youngest nation, which became embroiled in civil war soon after gaining independence in 2011.

A fragile 2018 peace accord is in danger of unravelling amid fresh offensives and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Flooding affects 270,000

Local reports suggest that over 270,000 people are affected by flooding in 12 counties across four states.

These areas were already grappling with floods, displacement, food security and cholera, said Mr. Dujarric, with farmland, homes and humanitarian facilities now submerged, disrupting access to education, health, nutrition and water services.

UN humanitarians say overcrowding at relocation sites has led to tensions among displaced families at the same time, reports of waterborne diseases and snake bites are increasing public health risks.

Peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have increased their presence and intensified vehicle patrols, navigating treacherous, rain-soaked routes both day and night.

Sudan: Hundreds feared dead in Darfur landslide

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Up to 1,000 people are feared dead in the tragedy, which occurred on Sunday in Tarsin village, located in the Jebel Marra range on the border of Central and South Darfur states.

The landslide was triggered by days of heavy rain.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Sudan at this tragic time,” Luca Renda, interim UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in the country said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the UN and partners are mobilizing to provide support to the affected population.

“The humanitarian community stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and will spare no effort to ensure that aid can reach those in need without delay,” he said.

Refuge amid war

The UN migration agency IOM expressed sadness over the loss of life due to the catastrophic landslide, which is among the deadliest disasters in Sudan’s recent history.

The tragedy comes amid the brutal ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a militia group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has displaced millions since April 2023.

The Marrah Mountains have become a refuge for families fleeing violence in the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur and surrounding areas.

“The area remains largely inaccessible to humanitarian organizations due to ongoing conflict and restrictions, compounding the hardship of those affected,” IOM said.

The agency urged all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of aid workers and civilians, in line with international humanitarian law. 

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Sudan: Guterres calls for ceasefire in El Fasher, deplores ‘relentless’ militia attacks

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António Guterres said he was “appalled by the relentless attacks” by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia on the North Darfur state capital, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

The paramilitary group and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been battling for control of devastated country since April 2023 and El Fasher has been the epicentre of fighting for more than 500 days.

Shelling, incursions and summary executions

Recent weeks have seen near-continuous shelling in the city and repeated deadly incursions into the adjoining Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine conditions were identified last December.

Since 11 August, the UN has documented the killing of at least 125 civilians in the El Fasher area, including summary executions – although the actual number is likely to be higher.

“The Secretary-General is alarmed at the grave risks of serious violations of international humanitarian law as well as violations and abuses of international human rights law, including ethnically motivated ones,” said Mr. Dujarric.

Aid awaiting entry

Meanwhile, supplies are pre-positioned near El Fasher, but the UN and partners continue to face obstacles in moving them into the city.  

Some 70 trucks of humanitarian assistance are currently waiting in Nyala, South Darfur, a top official with the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Thursday in New York.

Mr. Dujarric also noted that repeated attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets in North Darfur have occurred over recent months.

Ceasefire and a lasting peace

“The Secretary-General calls for an immediate ceasefire in and around the El Fasher area,” he said.

Furthermore, the UN chief “insists that immediate steps must be taken to protect civilians and enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance into the area, and to allow any civilians seeking to leave the area voluntarily to do so safely.” 

 In the interim, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, continues to engage the warring parties and “stands ready to support genuine efforts to halt the violence and establish an inclusive political process that the people of Sudan demand.” 

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Sudan: A staggering 30 million are in need, as war grinds on

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Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy for the humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, briefed journalists on her recent visit to Sudan and neighbouring Chad – a critical entry point for aid and a haven for some 850,000 people who have fled fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. 

The war erupted in April 2023 and has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with some 30 million people needing assistance.  

Homes, hospitals and schools have been destroyed, and basic services have ceased. Malnutrition and food insecurity are on the rise.

Aid trucks waiting

Ms. Wosornu voiced concern over the situation in El Fasher, which has been under siege for 500 days, with fresh shelling reported that morning. The North Darfur capital is also in the grip of deadly cholera which “doesn’t care whether you’re in uniform or a civilian”.

She said some 70 trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are waiting in Nyala, South Darfur, to enter the city.

Meanwhile, two other cities – Kadugli in South Kordofan state and El Obeid in North Kordofan – are also under siege.

“We have some good news”, Ms. Worsonu said, announcing that UNICEF trucks have delivered assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in Kadugli in recent days. 

Khartoum now ‘a ghost town’

The senior OCHA official recalled that Sudan was once the “breadbasket” of the Horn of Africa, but last year famine conditions were reported in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur. 

The current lean season finds some 680,000 people nationwide in a state of catastrophic food insecurity.

Although fighting has died down in the capital, Khartoum, she said the sheer scale and destruction is devastating, with “streets and buildings littered with explosive remnants of war”. The once vibrant city is now “completely a ghost town” with a “palpable sense of trauma everywhere”. 

However, she also witnessed signs of hope.  She saw “a city trying to come back to life, people sweeping the streets, a population determined to come back to what they once were. But it will take, of course, many, many, many years.”

In Chad, she thanked the authorities for their support, including ensuring that the Adre border with Sudan remains open. 

The war has made travel within Sudan extremely difficult, so humanitarian aid has to go from Douala in Cameroon through Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, and onto several more cities before arriving at Adre for entry into Darfur – “a mammoth effort”, she said.

More funding and aid access

Ms. Wosornu concluded by making four “key asks” to the international community, including for sustained improvements in aid access and more funding. 

“What we need is 55 cents per person, per day. That’s it for Sudan,” she said. 

Harder to deliver were her final plea to the warring parties for a lasting peace and an end to the fighting.

“Our humanitarian partners are also saying that this needs to stop so we can continue to deliver assistance,” she said. “Because after the war and everything has stopped, and when the guns are silenced, people still need recovery.”  

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Sudan: ‘Devastating tragedy’ for children in El Fasher after 500 days of siege

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Around 260,000 civilians – including 130,000 children – remain trapped in the area’s main camp for internally displaced people, enduring desperate conditions without aid for more than 16 months.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been battling forces of the military government for control of Sudan for over two years, has cut off all supply lines.

RSF militia have been besieging the city since May last year and it is the last urban area still under government control.

“We are witnessing a devastating tragedy – children in Al Fasher are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

Deadly violence

Reports this week point to yet another mass-casualty incident, with seven children reportedly killed in an attack on Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people, on the outskirts of El Fasher.

Since the start of the siege in May 2024, more than 1,100 grave violations have been verified in El Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of over 1,000 children.

Meanwhile, at least 23 children have been subjected to rape, gang rape, or sexual abuse. Others have been abducted, recruited, or used by armed groups, said UNICEF.

Health and education facilities have also come under sustained attack, with 35 hospitals and six schools struck, killing and injuring many, including children.

Aid blocked

Meanwhile, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned Wednesday that the already dire situation in North Darfur continues to worsen.

“Blocking humanitarian access is a grave violation of children’s rights, and the lives of children are hanging in the balance,” Ms. Russell said, reiterating UNICEF’s call for immediate and full access to El Fasher.

The toll on children is catastrophic, the agency suspension of medical services due to depleted supplies has left an estimated 6,000 children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without treatment, UNICEF said.

Without therapeutic food and medical care, these children face an extremely high risk of death. News reports indicate at least 63 people, mostly women and children, died of malnutrition in just a single week.  

UNICEF continues to call for unimpeded humanitarian access for the delivery of therapeutic food, medicines, clean water, and other essentials.

Cholera outbreak

The siege is colliding with Sudan’s worst cholera outbreak in decades. More than 2,400 deaths have been reported since July 2024.

In overcrowded camps around Tawila, Zamzam and El Fasher, children weakened by hunger are now especially vulnerable to cholera and other deadly waterborne diseases.

“Children must be protected at all times, and they must have access to life-saving aid,” said Ms Russell.

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World News in Brief: Gaza humanitarian update, more killings in Sudan, ending impunity in Myanmar

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Multiple strikes overnight into Friday were reported in the Jabalya Al Balad and An Nazla neighbourhoods, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.

As a result, around 900 people reportedly fled towards the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood and western Gaza City.

Safe passage, more aid

The UN and partners again reminded parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect civilians, in line with international law, including humanitarian workers and people who cannot or choose not to move. 

“Those fleeing must be allowed to do so safely. They must also be allowed to return if they wish to do so, as the situation allows,” OCHA said.

The agency underscored the need to ensure that people have access to aid and basic services, whether they leave or stay.

Supplies also must be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through all available crossings and corridors, and humanitarians must have safe, predictable and sustained access to deliver aid at scale.

Hospitals under strain

Meanwhile, as strikes continue to intensify across the enclave, casualties are flooding hospital emergency departments.  

Humanitarians warned that the expansion of military operations would further cripple the collapsing healthcare system. 

Nearly half of all hospitals and field hospitals are located in Gaza City, accounting for some 40 per cent of bed capacity in the entire enclave.  Additionally, many medical facilities in the south are operating several times over their bedspace capacity.

Humanitarians stressed that access to healthcare must be immediately restored to avert more preventable deaths. 

Sudan: UN rights office horrified by recent killings in El Fasher 

Recent brutal attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have left at least 89 people dead in North Darfur state, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday

The RSF have been battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of the country for more than two years.

OHCHR said RSF attacks on the besieged North Darfur capital El Fasher and the adjoining Abu Shouk camp for displaced people resulted in the killing of at least 89 civilians, though the actual number could be higher.

The attacks took place over a 10-day period ending on 20 August.

Apparent summary executions 

At least 32 civilians were killed in attacks between 16 and 20 August, while at least 57 were killed in previous attacks on 11 August.

OHCHR was particularly horrified that 16 of the most recent killings appear to have been summary executions, Spokesman Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva.

“Most of the victims were killed in Abu Shouk camp and belonged to the African Zaghawa tribe, according to information gathered by our Office,” he said.

“In another case in the El Fasher area, a victim was asked which tribe he belonged to. He was killed after responding that he was from the African Berti tribe.” 

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in El Fasher has reached a critical stage after more than a year of siege, and there is growing risk of famine in the city and other areas of North Darfur.

OHCHR was appalled by two separate attacks on UN humanitarian convoys in North Darfur this month and in June, saying such attacks only worsen the human rights situation for civilians.

© UNICEF/Ilvy Njiokiktjien

Ending impunity for violence critical for Rohingya in Myanmar

The UN human rights office has also called for ending impunity in the violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar and ensuring their rights to security, citizenship and equality.

It said the Rohingya – a mostly Muslim minority community in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar – continue to suffer, eight years after a deadly crackdown by the military.

More than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh in the wake of the assault which began on 25 August 2017, joining others who had escaped earlier waves of attacks. 

Break the cycle

OHCHR said that ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya’s rights to security, citizenship and equality, are essential for breaking the cycle of violence.

The Rohingya mainly live in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, and the office noted that the human rights and humanitarian situation there have sharply deteriorated since November 2023, further deepening the already life-threatening conditions they face.

OHCHR urged the international community to step up support for the Rohingya by increasing humanitarian funding to secure access to basic needs, essential services, and to ensure accountability. 

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World News in Brief: Sudan hospitals under fire, world remembers victims of terrorism, DR Congo

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A grenade attack inside Zalingei Hospital in Darfur State, led Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend all of its activities there yesterday.  

MSF had previously led a cholera emergency response at the medical facility, providing life-saving treatment for 160 patients in the past two weeks alone.  

“The rules of war are clear that the wounded and sick, medical personnel and hospitals be protected at all times,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, at the regular briefing on Wednesday.  

Do not give up on Sudan

In concert with the Sudanese Ministry of Health and humanitarian partners, the UN continues working to expand access to cholera vaccines across the country, including more than two million reached during a recent campaign across Khartoum, Al Jazirah and Sennar States.

With famine having been confirmed in parts of Sudan, the UN and its partners are also working to deliver food assistance wherever they can — but ongoing conflict has threatened their ability to access some locations.  

For the first time since the conflict began in April 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached rural areas of North Darfur State on 14 August and provided over 50,000 displaced people with food.  

On 19 August, Luca Renda, the Sudan representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan, lauded the work of humanitarians who continue to provide lifesaving assistance despite extreme risk to their own safety.  

“Sudanese humanitarians continue to deliver. They cross frontlines. They navigate insecurity and bureaucracy. They risk everything to reach people in need. They have not given up and neither must we.”

International Day honours victims of terrorism

Thursday, 21 August, marks the eighth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.  

Although the violent scourge is condemned worldwide, victims and survivors of terrorism often feel their voices are not heard and struggle to have their needs supported and rights upheld, especially when few Member States have the resources to help them recover.

This year’s theme is United by Hope: Collective Action for Victims of Terrorism, highlighting the power of solidarity among victims to turn pain into purpose and drive meaningful change.

In observance of the day, the UN Office of Counterterrorism will host a virtual event and a panel discussion featuring five survivors of terrorism from different regions.

“On this solemn day, we honour the victims and survivors of terrorism everywhere – saluting their courage, acknowledging their pain, and reaffirming our enduring commitment to peace, justice, and human rights, Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a video message.

Mr. Guterres welcomed the launch of the UN-supported Victims of Terrorism Associations Network, which works to empower victims and amplify their voices.

“Victims of terrorism are showing the way: supporting one another, speaking out, and championing the rights of all those affected,” he continued, urging governments, civil society and the international community to “match their courage.”

DR Congo: Deadly violence continues in the east 

Violence continues in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the form of deadly attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces militia across North Kivu between 9 and 16 August.  

“Yesterday, gunfire was reported near the UN Mission’s base in Bayoo and also close to the base of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in Bule, in Ituri Province,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during Wednesday’s briefing in New York.  

The UN mission, MONUSCO, activated security protocols and deployed patrols to secure the area and nearby sites hosting internally displaced people.

Peacekeeping efforts

Meanwhile, MONUSCO’s Commander led a delegation to Komanda in Ituri Province, to meet community representatives and honour victims of a massacre perpetrated by the ADF in July, which killed hundreds of civilians.  

From 15 to 18 August, at the request of local communities, UN peacekeepers also deployed a Mobile Operating Base in Soleniama, Ituri, to support demobilisation efforts, with the help of religious leaders. 

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First Person: From aid worker to refugee and back in war-torn Sudan

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Sudan is one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, with more than 30.4 million people – over half the population – urgently needing humanitarian assistance, yet the 2025 Sudan humanitarian needs and response plan is severely underfunded, with only 13.3 per cent of the required resources received so far.

Forced to flee the country with his family after the war intensified, Mr. Ibrahim returned to help people affected by the war in Darfur. Ahead of World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on 19 August, he described his journey, from aid worker to refugee and back again to Sudan.

“I was at home helping my daughter revise for her grade six exams, scheduled for the next day. Then, out of nowhere, the sound of heavy gunfire shattered the silence in my hometown, Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state, which remains gripped by insecurity and critical shortages of basic services.

The former Humanitarian Aid Commission Building in Khartoum, Sudan.

At first, I thought the gunfire would pass quickly. I rushed to stock up on food supplies and water, enough for six days. But, the streets became battlegrounds. All I could do was try to keep my family safe.

Despite the chaos, I continued to work. Electricity and Internet access were sporadic, but I kept my phone charged to send daily updates to the OCHA Head of Office. It gave me purpose amid the uncertainty.

Eventually, it became too dangerous to stay.

The journey of displacement

On the 39th day, we fled. Our family of 10 began a harrowing journey with no clear destination, only the desperate need to escape. We left behind more than just walls and belongings; we left behind a life built with love and hope.

Adam with two of his daughters in Uganda.

Our journey took us first to Nyala in South Darfur, then to Kosti in White Nile State. From there, we crossed the border into neighbouring South Sudan and eventually reached Uganda, a country I had heard offered stability and a good education system for children. The journey by car took 23 days. My children had no passports, and there were no refugee camps for Sudanese nationals at the time.

To my relief, migration authorities in both countries were kind and supportive. In Kampala, we rented a house and received asylum status within three days. The moment I held our refugee cards, I exhaled deeply and thought ‘we’ve made it.’

I enrolled my children in school and began working online, finally finding a sense of stability.

Here I was, an aid worker now a refugee, needing the same support I once provided to others.

Returning to Zalingei

Months later, I faced a difficult decision. Do I stay with my family or return to Darfur and continue the work I had done for years? I chose to return.

Leaving my family behind was incredibly hard, but their safety was paramount.

I returned to Zalingei with a renewed sense of duty to serve those still trapped in the hardship I had endured. I was also the sole breadwinner for my family and needed to ensure they could survive in Uganda.

My hometown changed

When I arrived in Zalingei, I barely recognised it. Buildings were scarred with bullet holes.

I found another family sheltering inside our house, a doctor and his family whose own home had been destroyed. I let them stay, setting aside a small section for myself and a colleague. The house had been looted. Windows were gone and our belongings had vanished. I had hoped to find my children’s school certificates, photos, any documents left behind. But, they were gone.

Everyone was armed, even children as young as 15. People were tense, traumatised and always bracing for the next wave of violence.

Google Earth image of Zalingei as of 21 March 2025 with visible signs of house destruction on the southern part of the city.

Machine guns and wreckage in West Darfur

I didn’t stay long in Zalingei. Soon I was called to El Geneina in West Darfur, a town devastated by violence, and whose people desperately needed humanitarian support.

El Geneina’s streets were strewn with the wreckage of burned-out military vehicles. Armed men patrolled in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns.

The humanitarian needs were immense. People lacked food, shelter, household essentials, healthcare, clean water and protection, but we never had enough resources for them.

Family, sacrifice and hope for Sudan

It’s heartbreaking to witness the suffering caused by the recent donor funding cuts. Many organizations have been forced to scale back their operations, leaving countless people without help.

It’s heartbreaking to witness the suffering caused by the recent donor funding cuts.

Still, we did all we could.

Between 2023 and 2025, we reached more than 800,000 displaced people with critical assistance, in West and Central Darfur.

I also went on to work with OCHA colleagues in Chad to coordinate cross-border humanitarian convoys into Darfur.

These convoys were lifelines, delivering food, medicine and supplies to communities cut off by conflict.

Today, I remain in Sudan. 

My family is still in Uganda. I visit them once a year, but the separation is painful.”

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World News in Brief: Cholera strikes Sudan and beyond, humanitarian needs grown for returning Afghans, rising insecurity in DR Congo

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So far this year, cholera has killed more than 4,300 people across 31 countries. These figures are underestimates and there is particular concern for those impacted by war in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Yemen.  

In Sudan, the disease has already claimed over 1,000 lives since 1 January. It has reached every state in the country, one year after the outbreak started, according to WHO.

Cases rise in war-torn Darfur

With the sub-Saharan rainy season now underway, the UN agency is worried about a spike in the waterborne disease, linked to the huge numbers of people fleeing ongoing violence.

“While cases have plateaued or decreased in some areas, including Khartoum, they are rising in the Darfur region and neighboring Chad. In Tawila, North Darfur,” said WHO’s Kathryn Alberti.

Refugees have quadrupled the population from close to 200,000 to over 800,000, causing immense strain on water and sanitation systems, she added.

“People have as little as three litres of water daily and this is for cooking, washing, cleaning and drinking.”  

To respond to the problem, WHO and partners have set up task forces, deployed rapid response teams for surveillance and stockpiled essential cholera supplies in Darfur – although “large parts” of Darfur and Kordofan remain unreachable.

Humanitarian needs keep growing in Afghanistan

Four years after the de-facto Taliban regime took over Afghanistan, more than half of the population needs vital aid, according to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA).

Women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to the increasingly restrictive policies that Taliban authorities have imposed, excluding them from education, the workforce and public life.

“Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for women and girls who are otherwise unable to access essential services and assistance,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, at Friday’s daily briefing in New York.  

1.7 million returnees 

OCHA also warned that the return of 1.7 million Afghan citizens from Iran and Pakistan this year has further increased humanitarian needs, as most have limited community ties and are struggling to find shelter and ways of making a living.

To support the response of the under-resourced host communities, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) recently released $10 million, and additional funding is in the pipeline from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

But more resources are urgently needed. This year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan in Afghanistan is just 25 per cent funded, with $624 million received of the $2.4 billion that are needed, and another influx of refugees is expected ahead of Pakistan’s 1 September deadline for Afghan Proof of Registration cardholders to exit.

Insecurity also rising in DR Congo’s restive east

In the war-torn eastern parts Democratic Republic of the Congo, OCHA says insecurity is on the rise in Djigu territory, in Ituri province.

Clashes between multiple armed groups and the Congolese armed forces in several areas has resulted in nearly 50 civilian deaths and more than 30 injuries in the past month alone there.

In the same period, violence and insecurity have led to the displacement of more than 80,000 people in Djugu.

In the attacks, homes were looted or burned, and those who fled are now sheltering in schools, churches and other public buildings.

Targeted killings

There have been three targeted attacks on sites hosting internally displaced people.

These clashes have severely limited humanitarian access, depriving around 250,000 people of essential services. In the Nizi health district in the Ituri territory, nine out of 12 health facilities are now out of service.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are ready to respond, but they need unimpeded, safe access to do so.

“All parties must take urgent measures to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access. Civilians must be protected at all times, in line with international law,” stressed Mr. Dujarric on Friday. 

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Security Council rejects creation of rival government in Sudan

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In a statement issued on Wednesday, Council members said the step posed “a direct threat to Sudan’s territorial integrity” and could fragment the country, fuel the fighting, and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Ambassadors reaffirmed “unwavering” support for Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and unity, stressing that unilateral actions that undermine these principles jeopardise not only Sudan’s future but also peace and stability across the wider region.

The Council called on the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces to return to talks aimed at reaching a lasting ceasefire and creating the conditions for a political settlement involving all political and social groups.

The goal, they said, is a credible, inclusive transition to a civilian-led government that can lead the country towards democratic elections and deliver “a peaceful, stable and prosperous future” in line with the Sudanese people’s aspirations.

Flashpoints in Darfur and Kordofan

The statement recalled the Council’s resolution 2736 (2024), which demands the RSF lift its siege of El Fasher, halt the fighting, and de-escalate tensions in and around the North Darfur capital.

Famine and extreme food insecurity are at risk of spreading in the city, which has been under siege since April 2024.

Members voiced alarm over reports of a renewed RSF offensive this week in El Fasher and urged the group to allow “unhindered humanitarian access” to the city.

The Council also expressed grave concern over reported attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan region in recent weeks, reportedly carried out by both sides, which have caused large numbers of civilian deaths. They also voiced deep concern about the impact of the conflict on humanitarian operations.

Demands for access

Council members pressed all parties to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in line with international law, to protect civilians, and to abide by their obligations under both resolution 2736 and the 2023 Jeddah Declaration.

They stressed that perpetrators of serious violations must be held to account. 
They also urged all UN Member States to avoid any external interference that fuels conflict and instability, support efforts for durable peace, and comply with relevant international law and Council resolutions, including resolution 2750.

Backing for UN envoy

The Council reiterated its commitment to supporting the people of Sudan in their quest for peace, security, stability and prosperity.

It also voiced full support for the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, and his work with the warring sides and civil society to secure a sustainable settlement through dialogue. 

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Sudan: UN ‘deeply alarmed’ by major attack on besieged El Fasher

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Monday’s attack left 40 civilians dead and 19 injured within Abu Shouk, according to humanitarian partners. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the renewed violence forced at least 500 residents of the camp to flee to other parts of North Darfur.

Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, condemned “all deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians” in the strongest terms.

“All parties to the conflict have a clear obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed at Tuesday’s daily press briefing in New York.

“Displacement camps and other places of refuge for civilians must not be targeted. And the fact that we have to repeat this almost every day is tragic in itself.”

No exit

Amid the current escalation of violence in and around El Fasher – the last Government held bastion in Darfur – there are also reports that exit routes from the city have been blocked and civilians are trapped under siege, cut off from safety and aid.  

Mr. Yett emphasised that the immediate provision of safe and unhindered passage for those fleeing El Fasher and other areas of active hostilities is crucial.  

He also reiterated the Secretary-General’s repeated calls for a humanitarian pause in and around the city to allow for the much-needed delivery of food, water, medicine and other life-saving supplies, underscoring that those trapped are facing acute hunger and starvation.

Deepening catastrophe in Kordofan

To the east in the Kordofan region, violence and displacement are still raging.  

In South Kordofan State, IOM estimates 3,000 people fled the town of Kadugli between 6 and 10 August because of deepening insecurity.

Humanitarian access to the town is extremely limited, as the primary supply route is inaccessible due to active hostilities, making road access virtually nonexistent.  

This humanitarian crisis is worsening an already dire economic situation and causing further shortages of vital goods.  

UN humanitarians reiterate that all combatants have obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from attacking civilians, take constant care to spare them and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone in need. 

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