SUDAN’S DEEPENING CRISIS:
As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian and human rights situation continues to spiral downward, prompting grave concern from the international community. In a recent UN Security Council briefing (SC/16018), high-level officials warned of an alarming escalation in violence, the collapse of basic services, and a shocking rise in sexual violence, particularly against women and girls from marginalized ethnic communities.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country. Once concentrated in the capital Khartoum, the violence has spread to other regions, including Darfur, reviving horrific memories of past genocides. The war has not only claimed thousands of lives but also forced over eight million people to flee their homes, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis in recent times.
The situation has been described by UN officials as a “living nightmare” for civilians, with entire towns destroyed and infrastructure decimated. Hospitals have shut down, schools have collapsed, and food supplies are running dangerously low. Starvation is being weaponized—civilians are being intentionally deprived of access to food and humanitarian aid. As one UN official noted, this is not merely a humanitarian crisis but a man-made catastrophe driven by political and military actors. Perhaps most distressing is the widespread use of sexual violence as a tool of war. Reports indicate that women and girls are being targeted systemically, particularly in areas with ethnic tensions. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, described these acts as not only war crimes but as instruments of terror meant to humiliate and destroy entire communities.
The UN Security Council has expressed deep alarm and called for immediate action, including a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and accountability for perpetrators. However, divisions among member states and the absence of strong enforcement mechanisms continue to hamper a decisive international response.
As Sudan teeters on the edge of total collapse, the world is once again reminded of the heavy cost of inaction. Without swift and united global intervention, the people of Sudan face a future of continued violence, famine, and irreversible suffering.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AS A WEAPON OF WAR:
In a harrowing briefing to the United Nations Security Council, Pramila Patten, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, revealed disturbing evidence of the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. According to her report, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias are deliberately targeting women and girls, primarily from non-Arab and marginalized ethnic communities, as part of a broader campaign of terror and ethnic persecution. In towns such as El Geneina in West Darfur, mass rapes, abductions, and instances of sexual slavery have become chillingly common. Survivors recount brutal assaults carried out in public, often in front of family members, with the intent to dehumanize, humiliate, and break the spirit of entire communities. Many victims have been held in makeshift detention sites where they were subjected to repeated assaults over days or even weeks. With medical services in ruins and humanitarian access restricted, survivors are left without even the most basic care or protection.
This violence is not random. It follows a clear, targeted, and ethnically driven pattern. Patten emphasized that what is happening in Sudan today echoes the horrors of the Darfur genocide, with sexual violence being used to destroy ethnic identities and displace entire populations. The UN has classified these acts as possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. Yet, in a country where the judicial system has collapsed, there is no functioning mechanism for justice. The UN has called on the international community to urgently respond with coordinated action, ranging from independent investigations and sanctions to humanitarian corridors and survivor support. However, political divisions within the Security Council continue to stall firm responses. The use of sexual violence in Sudan is not just a matter of individual suffering; it is a strategic tool of war, ethnic cleansing, and prolonged instability. Without swift and concrete action, these crimes will go unpunished, and the culture of impunity will persist, further endangering the lives and dignity of Sudanese women and girls, and setting back any hope for peace and justice.
HUMANITARIAN BREAKDOWN AND FAMINE RISK:
As Sudan’s civil war grinds on with no political resolution in sight, the humanitarian situation in the country has deteriorated into what United Nations officials are calling one of the worst crises in the world. In a recent briefing to the Security Council, senior UN officials described a total breakdown of basic infrastructure, including the collapse of healthcare, education, water systems, and markets. Over 25 million people—more than half the population—now require humanitarian assistance, with millions displaced internally and across borders. However, due to active fighting, deliberate obstruction by armed groups, and bureaucratic blockades, even the most urgent aid is being denied access to civilians in need.
Perhaps the most disturbing revelation is that starvation is being used deliberately as a method of warfare. According to the UN, armed actors are intentionally restricting the delivery of food and humanitarian supplies to certain communities, using hunger as a weapon to force displacement and submission. In areas like Darfur and Khartoum, looting of aid convoys, attacks on warehouses, and the blocking of relief missions have become regular tactics. These acts are not just breaches of international humanitarian law—they are calculated strategies that deepen ethnic divisions and target vulnerable populations. As a result, famine conditions are rapidly emerging, particularly in besieged areas where food, medicine, and clean water have become nearly impossible to obtain.
Despite the scale of the crisis, global attention remains limited, and funding for humanitarian operations is severely lacking. UN agencies have warned that without immediate and unimpeded access to affected regions, thousands, especially children, could die from starvation and preventable diseases in the coming months. The international community faces a critical choice: either act urgently to open humanitarian corridors and hold those obstructing aid accountable, or risk witnessing another preventable catastrophe unfold in silence. Sudan’s crisis is not only a humanitarian emergency—it is a moral one, demanding global attention and action.
POLITICAL DEADLOCK AND RESPONSIBILITY:
As Sudan’s war enters its second year, the political landscape remains frozen in a dangerous stalemate, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) prioritizing military gains over meaningful dialogue. The UN Security Council was briefed on the alarming reality that neither side shows a genuine commitment to a negotiated solution. Despite multiple calls for a ceasefire and peace talks, both factions continue to escalate the violence, causing massive civilian suffering while making no effort to reestablish governance or public services. The power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (SAF) and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti (RSF), has effectively dismantled any semblance of state authority. Instead of cooperating to restore civilian rule, they have focused on consolidating control over territory and resources, leaving the country leaderless and its people abandoned.
What is equally troubling is the complete absence of accountability. UN officials emphasized during the Security Council session that both the SAF and RSF are responsible for grave violations of international law, including indiscriminate bombings, ethnic targeting, and the deliberate use of starvation and sexual violence as weapons of war. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence, no internal mechanisms exist in Sudan to investigate or punish those responsible. International calls for justice—whether through sanctions, arms embargoes, or independent investigations—have largely gone unanswered due to geopolitical divisions within the Security Council. Countries like Russia and China continue to resist strong punitive measures, while regional powers are hesitant to interfere. As a result, a dangerous culture of impunity persists, emboldening both sides to act without restraint. The political deadlock in Sudan is not simply about the absence of peace talks; it is about the absence of will, responsibility, and justice. Without decisive international pressure and a unified diplomatic front, Sudan risks sinking further into chaos, where warlords dictate the future and civilians pay the ultimate price.
SECURITY COUNCIL’S RESPONSE AND DEBATE:
The United Nations Security Council's recent session on Sudan highlighted not only the scale of the humanitarian and human rights crisis but also the deep divisions among its members on how to respond. While all members acknowledged the severity of the violence, especially the use of sexual violence and the growing risk of famine, there was little agreement on a path forward. UN officials stressed the urgent need for a coordinated international response to pressure warring parties toward a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and accountability for war crimes. However, political interests and geopolitical alignments have hampered decisive action.
Western nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, called for stronger measures such as sanctions, independent investigations, and arms embargoes. They condemned both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for their roles in fueling the conflict and committing atrocities. Meanwhile, countries like Russia and China cautioned against external interference, emphasizing respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and promoting dialogue without pressure. This clash of approaches has stalled efforts to take concrete action through Security Council resolutions. As a result, while the UN can continue monitoring and reporting on the situation, its ability to stop the violence or ensure justice for victims remains limited. The session closed with a warning from UN representatives: unless the Council can find common ground and act swiftly, Sudan's crisis will deepen, and its people will continue to suffer with no clear path to peace or accountability.
URGENT CALLS FOR ACTION:
The United Nations has issued urgent calls for global action as Sudan spirals further into one of the most severe humanitarian and human rights crises of the modern era. In a sobering address to the Security Council, UN officials emphasized that the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the nation’s infrastructure, displaced millions, and left entire populations without food, water, or healthcare. The humanitarian crisis is so dire that parts of the country now face imminent famine, with the most vulnerable—children, women, and the elderly—bearing the brunt.
UN representatives stressed that the time for symbolic statements is over. Concrete, coordinated international action is essential to halt the violence and protect Sudanese civilians. Recommendations included imposing targeted sanctions on those obstructing humanitarian aid, enabling immediate humanitarian access to conflict zones, and initiating independent investigations into war crimes, including mass sexual violence and ethnic killings. There was also a call to strengthen support for neighboring countries hosting refugees and to increase funding for UN relief operations, which remain critically underfunded.
Yet, despite the urgency, the Security Council remains divided. Political disagreements among member states—especially over sovereignty, sanctions, and foreign intervention—have stalled efforts to pass strong resolutions. Nevertheless, UN officials continue to push for a unified response, warning that failure to act decisively now will result in long-term instability, regional spillover, and the continued suffering of millions. As one UN official put it: “We cannot look away. The world cannot claim ignorance. The alarm has been sounded—loud and clear.” These appeals underscore the need for awareness and meaningful intervention before the crisis becomes irreversible.
THE WAY FORWARD:
The situation in Sudan demands immediate and decisive action from the international community. The UN has clearly outlined the grave humanitarian and human rights violations that have unfolded, with sexual violence, ethnic targeting, and famine being used as tools of war. The Security Council must prioritize swift, coordinated responses to provide humanitarian relief, ensure the protection of civilians, and hold perpetrators accountable for war crimes. However, political divisions among Council members hinder strong resolutions, delaying the vital support Sudan needs.
To avoid further suffering and destabilization, the international community must unite in its approach, pushing for comprehensive sanctions, the establishment of humanitarian corridors, and independent investigations into violations. The time for diplomatic indecision has passed. The global community must act now to prevent Sudan from descending further into chaos and provide a pathway to peace, recovery, and justice for its people.