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	Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day by OCHA, UNHCR, OHCHR, agencies   4 Dec. 2025   UN Human Rights Chief warns against atrocities in Sudan’s Kordofan region. (OHCHR)   UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday he feared another wave of atrocities in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting across the Kordofan region between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).   Since 25 October, when RSF captured Bara city in North Kordofan, the UN Human Rights Office has documented at least 269 civilian deaths from aerial strikes, artillery shelling, and summary executions. Telecommunications and internet outages hinder accurate reporting, therefore, the number of civilian casualties is likely to be much higher.   There have also been reports of retaliatory killings, arbitrary detention, abductions, sexual violence and forced recruitment, including of children.   "It is truly shocking to see history repeating itself in Kordofan so soon after the horrific events in El Fasher,” said the High Commissioner. “The international community stood united then, unequivocally condemning the barbarous violations and destruction. We must not allow Kordofan to become another El Fasher.”   Heavy fighting continues across the three Kordofan states resulting in more civilian casualties. At particular risk are Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan which have been besieged by the RSF and SPLM-N, and El Obeid in North Kordofan which is partially surrounded by the RSF. The humanitarian situation is dire, with famine confirmed in Kadugli and risk of famine in Dilling. All parties are blocking humanitarian access and operations.   “We cannot remain silent in front of yet another man-made catastrophe,” said Turk. “This fighting must end immediately, and life-saving aid allowed to reach those who face starvation.”   Turk called for the protection of humanitarian personnel and local responders, and the restoration of lifesaving assistance to civilians.   “Safe passage for those fleeing the horror of famine, death, and destruction is essential and a human rights imperative,” said Turk.   Once again, the High Commissioner called on all States with influence over the parties to take immediate action to halt the fighting, and stop the arms flows that are fuelling the conflict.   “We cannot stand idly by and allow more Sudanese to become victims of horrific human rights violations. We must act, and this war must stop now.”   Statement from the Operational Humanitarian Country Team in Sudan on violence in the Kordofan region.   "The humanitarian community in Sudan condemns in the strongest terms the escalating violence across the Kordofan region and the ongoing sieges that have cut off multiple cities.   We are deeply concerned by continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, in clear violation of international humanitarian law. The violence is restricting access to food, medicine and essential supplies, and is limiting farmers’ access to their fields and markets, heightening the risk of famine spreading across the Kordofan states.   Communities in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan State remain trapped, facing extreme hardship, severe restrictions on movement and limited access to essential services and protection. In Kadugli, famine conditions have been identified. In Babanusa, West Kordofan State, we have seen reports of sustained attacks over recent days.   We urge all those involved in the fighting to protect civilians, and medical and humanitarian workers – particularly those fleeing besieged areas and local frontline responders delivering life-saving support. Sexual violence, abductions and the recruitment of children must end. Civilian sites and infrastructure – including hospitals, markets and displacement sites – must be respected and protected in line with international humanitarian law.   Humanitarian workers continue to operate under extraordinary risk, delivering basic assistance to 1.1 million people across the Kordofan region. They require safe and unimpeded access to those in need and the resources necessary to save lives and scale up the response".   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/un-human-rights-chief-warns-against-atrocities-sudans-kordofan-region http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/statement-operational-humanitarian-country-team-sudan-violence-kordofan-region http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-warns-more-displacement-sudan-fighting-rages-darfurs-and-kordofans-amidst-shrinking http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166655 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-warns-deepening-protection-crisis-sudan-violence-and http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/2025/11/sudan-all-parties-must-act-now-to-save-children   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/sudan-must-address-ethnic-violence-and-prevent-further-escalation-un http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/briefing-security-council-ms-edem-wosornu-director-crisis-response-division-ocha-behalf-mr-tom-fletcher-usg-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-humanitarian-situation-sudan http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166510 http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-sudan-occupied-palestinian-territory-mozambique http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/unicef-sudan-consolidated-humanitarian-flash-update-north-darfur-and-kordofan-crisis-26-october-01-december-2025 http://www.icrc.org/en/article/reaching-people-affected-conflict-sudan http://www.care.org/news-and-stories/sudan-hunger-crisis-funding-cuts-threaten-millions/   Nov. 2025   Mounting Atrocities in El Fasher Demand Immediate International Action. (GlobalR2P)   After eighteen months under a tightening siege, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has fallen to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following days of bombardment and the withdrawal of the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied groups. The RSF’s takeover has unleashed a wave of atrocities, with credible reports pointing to targeted ethnic violence, extrajudicial killings and executions – some amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or acts of genocide.   Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, hospitals reduced to rubble and humanitarian access completely severed. Tens of thousands of civilians are now at imminent risk of mass killings and ethnic cleansing.   On 27 October UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that his office had received reports of “the summary execution of civilians trying to flee, with indications of ethnic motivations for killings, and of persons no longer participating in hostilities.”   Satellite imagery reveals house-to-house clearance operations and evidence consistent with the presence of human bodies near RSF vehicles – grim proof of atrocities unfolding in real time.   Since the siege began, the international community has watched Sudan’s conflict escalate without taking effective or decisive action. Despite repeated warnings from the UN, human rights organizations and Sudanese civil society that the RSF’s capture of El Fasher could trigger widespread and deliberate attacks on civilians, there has been no coordinated effort to protect populations, ensure accountability or halt the flow of weapons fueling these crimes.   The UN Security Council’s paralysis – driven by geopolitical rivalries and political indifference – has once again left the people of Darfur abandoned to face mass atrocities alone.   This is not only a humanitarian emergency; it is an atrocity crisis deepening by the day. The fall of El Fasher marks a critical point of no return. Without immediate and decisive action, the city could soon become the site of another mass atrocity etched into Darfur’s tragic history. It is unacceptable for the world to stand by once again as civilians are hunted, starved and killed.   We therefore call upon the international community to urgently:   Demand and enforce an immediate cessation of hostilities in and around El Fasher and other conflict hotspots. Unequivocally condemn deliberate attacks on civilians and make clear to the RSF and its supporters that all civilians in, around or attempting to flee El Fasher must be protected.   Develop diplomatic strategies to overcome barriers to humanitarian access, including flexible funding for rapid procurement of essential items, transport and emergency supplies, and creative approaches to accelerate aid delivery to communities trapped in El Fasher.   Halt the transfer of arms and financial support to parties to the conflict. Urge the United Arab Emirates to use its influence over actors in Sudan to halt attacks on civilians, uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and refrain from providing material, financial or political support to the RSF. Enhance oversight and tracking of weapons sold to the UAE to ensure they are not diverted for use in atrocities.   Call on the UN Security Council, particularly Sierra Leone, Somalia, Algeria and Russia, to actively and constructively engage in crafting a robust resolution with concrete measures to protect civilians.   Every government, every leader and every institution has the capacity – and the responsibility – to act. Whether through diplomacy, humanitarian assistance or public pressure, there are avenues to make a difference. Silence and inaction are choices. In the face of such horror, they are indefensible.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/mounting-atrocities-in-el-fasher-demand-immediate-international-action/ http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/inter-agency-standing-committee-statement-sudan-call-urgent-international-response http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/no-child-safe-al-fasher http://www.who.int/news/item/29-10-2025-who-condemns-killings-of-patients-and-civilians-amid-escalating-violence-in-el-fasher--sudan http://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251028-warnings-grow-of-executions-ethnic-cleansing-in-sudan-s-el-fasher http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/28/mass-killings-reported-el-fasher-sudan-paramilitary-group-rapid-support-forces http://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-29/sudanese-paramilitary-accused-of-killing-2-000-civilians/105945372   27 Oct. 2025   Sudan: Appalling reports of summary executions and other serious violations, as RSF makes major territorial gains in El Fasher and North Kordofan. (OHCHR)   The UN Human Rights Office is receiving multiple, alarming reports that the Rapid Support Forces are carrying out atrocities, including summary executions, after seizing control of large parts of the besieged city of El Fasher, North Darfur and of Bara city in North Kordofan state in recent days.   “In El Fasher, reports indicate an extremely precarious situation since the RSF yesterday announced its takeover of the army’s 6th Infantry Division,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.   “The risk of further large-scale, ethnically motivated violations and atrocities in El Fasher is mounting by the day. Urgent and concrete action needs to be taken urgently to ensure the protection of civilians in El Fasher and safe passage for those trying to reach relative safety.”   The Office has received reports of the summary execution of civilians trying to flee, with indications of ethnic motivations for killings, and of persons no longer participating in hostilities (hors de combat).   Multiple distressing videos received by UN Human Rights show dozens of unarmed men being shot or lying dead, surrounded by RSF fighters who accuse them of being SAF fighters.   Hundreds of people have reportedly been detained while trying to flee. Given past realities in North Darfur, the likelihood of sexual violence against women and girls in particular is extremely high.   The Office has also received reports of numerous civilian deaths, including of local humanitarian volunteers, due to heavy artillery shelling from 22 to 26 October. It is difficult to estimate the number of civilian casualties at this point, given communications cuts and the large number of people fleeing.   Amid severe food shortages and exorbitant prices, the Office has also received disturbing reports of the summary execution of men by RSF fighters for attempting to bring food supplies into the city, which has been under RSF siege for 18 months.   Summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters are also being reported in Bara city, North Kordofan state in western Sudan, after it was captured by the RSF on 25 October following a major offensive. The victims were reportedly accused of supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces. Reports suggest that dozens of civilians have been killed.   “The RSF must urgently take concrete steps to end and prevent abuses against civilians in both El Fasher and Bara, including ethnically motivated violence and reprisal attacks,” Turk said. “I remind the RSF commanders of their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians and to ensure the passage of essential supplies and humanitarian assistance – which just days ago they again publicly committed to doing.”   The High Commissioner underlined that international humanitarian law prohibits violence against individuals no longer participating in hostilities (hors de combat). The use of starvation as a weapon of war is also strictly prohibited.   Turk reiterated his call on Member States with influence to act urgently to prevent the commission of large-scale atrocities by the RSF and allied fighters, and to intensify pressure to end this intolerable conflict.   Ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law by all parties to the conflict is critical to ensure fresh cycles of violations and abuses do not recur.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/sudan-appalling-reports-summary-executions-and-other-serious-violations-rsf http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166200   UN Relief Chief calls for protection of civilians and their access to aid in El Fasher.   Statement on Sudan by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:   I am deeply alarmed by reports of civilian casualties and forced displacement amid further escalation of fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in Sudan, where intense shelling and ground assaults have engulfed the city.   With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety.   Safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed to reach all civilians in need. We have lifesaving supplies ready, but intensified attacks have made it impossible for us to get aid in. Local humanitarian workers continue to save lives under fire.   We call for an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, across Darfur and throughout Sudan. Civilians must be allowed safe passage and be able to access aid. Those fleeing to safer areas must be allowed to do so safely and in dignity. Those who stay – including local responders – must be protected. Attacks on civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations must stop immediately.   Those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held to account. All parties to this conflict have strict obligations under international humanitarian law.   http://www.unocha.org/news/emergency-relief-chief-warns-security-council-attacks-el-fasher-recall-horrors-darfur-endured http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-escalating-violence-sudan-s-el-fasher-forces-thousands-flee   21 Oct. 2025 (OCHA)   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that as escalating violence deepens the already devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s North Darfur State, the UN and its partners continue to scale up their response efforts where access allows.   Yesterday in the town of Tawila, an OCHA team met families who had walked for four days to escape the violence in the besieged state capital El Fasher, which is about 50 kilometres away. On Sunday and Monday alone, some 350 families – mostly women, children and older people – arrived in dire condition, some of them injured along the way. Dozens of young men who fled with the group are still missing, raising serious protection concerns.   The UN and its humanitarian partners have provided food, water and basic medical care to the new arrivals, but needs far exceed available resources. Tawila now hosts more than 600,000 people displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas – and many displaced families lack shelter, adequate food or safe water. OCHA is coordinating with authorities, donors and partners to mobilize additional capacity, resources and support.   On the ground in El Fasher, repeated attacks continue to imperil civilians. Local sources report that yesterday, heavy shelling struck central parts of the city, endangering thousands of civilians in one of El Fasher’s most densely populated areas.   Local authorities report that more than 109,000 people are displaced across 127 sites, most lacking food, clean water and medical care. Several community kitchens shut down last week due to the depletion of supplies.   Once again, OCHA stresses that the siege on El Fasher must be lifted immediately, and safe passage must be ensured for civilians wishing to flee and for humanitarians determined to deliver vital aid.   Elsewhere in North Darfur, a drone strike reportedly hit the main market in Kabkabiya town, underscoring the severe risks facing civilians amid expanding hostilities. In the localities of As Serief and Kernoi, the International Organization for Migration estimates that about 10,000 people were displaced on Sunday due to heightened insecurity. Most have fled to nearby locations within Kernoi.   Meanwhile, in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, drones reportedly struck the international airport at dawn today, just one day before it was due to reopen for domestic flights for the first time since the conflict began.   The attack raises grave concerns over the safety of vital transport infrastructure in the country. OCHA reiterates the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-ukraine-13 http://www.wfp.org/news/iom-unhcr-unicef-and-wfp-urge-immediate-action-address-escalating-humanitarian-crisis-sudan http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/sudan-worlds-largest-humanitarian-crisis-and-children-are-paying-highest-price%C2%A0   Oct. 2025   Joint Statement: Safe Passage: Protection for Civilians Under Siege in El Fasher, Sudan:   Time is running out for the estimated 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, trapped in El Fasher, Darfur’s final battleground between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).   The RSF has besieged the North Darfur capital for over 500 days, using starvation as a weapon of warfare by blocking food and lifesaving humanitarian assistance from entering. They have built over 38km of earthen walls (berms) at the edges of the city to “control population flow from all directions to and from El-Fasher” according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab.   The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that there are no safe exit routes from El Fasher. The berms will allow the RSF and allied militias to continue to strangulate the civilian population by blocking the entry of food and medicine into the city and obstructing civilians from fleeing.   We, the undersigned civil society organisations and humanitarian actors, urgently call for safe humanitarian access, including voluntary evacuation routes for the civilians trapped in El Fasher. Evacuation routes need to be secured without delay to provide civilians in El Fasher safe, voluntary, and dignified passage.   Over 470,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas since the start of the siege in May 2024. In the past four weeks, conflict between the belligerents and their allied militias has sharply escalated, along with atrocity crimes against civilians. Testimony from civilians who recently fled El Fasher recount that men and adolescent boys are being killed on the road and that leaving El Fasher is now more dangerous than staying despite the constant daily shelling.   Global paralysis in the response to the Sudan war is contributing to the loss of lives across the country. Words of condemnation will not save lives in El Fasher. However, decisive action by the international community can still prevent the continued massacre of civilians trapped in El Fasher.   It has been almost a year since the UN Secretary General published his recommendations on civilian protection in Sudan. This anniversary marks a year of failure by the international community to make any progress towards protecting civilians in Sudan.   The greatest solution to address civilian protection threats in Sudan is a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire. Whilst negotiations continue, action must be taken to immediately address the protection needs of the population in El Fasher.   A humanitarian access plan must be developed and executed as a matter of urgency, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and with binding agreements from all parties to the conflict to respect and uphold the safety of civilians.   Negotiations on safe passage and humanitarian access should be actively pursued by diplomatic missions, regional entities, and international stakeholders to ensure unimpeded civilian evacuation.   Humanitarian access to El Fasher must be secured to provide life-saving assistance, including medical care, to these vulnerable populations. The humanitarian response across North Darfur must also be scaled up to meet the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) with direct and unrestricted support provided to local groups. 35 hospitals have been attacked since the RSF began their siege on El Fasher.   A significant portion of El Fasher’s population are not able to safely evacuate the city because they are starving, weak, sick, elderly, disabled, or injured. Humanitarian aid must include water, electricity, fuel, food, and medical supplies. Aid access is also urgent to counter confirmed famine and the worst cholera outbreak Sudan has seen in years, having already caused at least 350 deaths in Darfur.   The immediate provision of safe and unhindered passage for people seeking to evacuate from El Fasher is critical to preventing further atrocities. All civilians, who are trying to escape El Fasher must be allowed to do so safely, voluntarily, and without impediments.   The parties engaged in the conflict are obliged under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, ensure safe passage, and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.   The international community has watched the siege of El Fasher and failed to take the actions needed to protect civilians. At this moment, when the atrocity risk is at its highest, there must be a concerted effort to take action and save lives.   http://www.refugeesinternational.org/advocacy-letters/safe-passage-protection-for-civilians-under-siege-in-el-fasher/ http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/north-darfur-deliberate-targeting-civilians-must-stop-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-denise-brown http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/sudan-turk-calls-urgent-action-protect-civilians-and-prevent-large-scale http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/10/un-experts-demand-urgent-action-protect-civilians-sudan-conflict-intensifies http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/el-fasher-civilians-urgently-need-protection-and-safe-passage-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-denise-brown http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/after-500-days-under-siege-children-sudans-al-fasher-face-starvation-mass http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ingos-condemn-persistent-violations-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-el-fasher-where-civilians-are-starving-and-besieged   26 Aug. 2025   After 500 days under siege, children in Sudan’s Al Fasher face starvation, mass displacement, and deadly violence. (UNICEF)   After 500 days under siege, the city of Al Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur has become an epicentre of child suffering, with malnutrition, disease, and violence claiming young lives daily, UNICEF warned today.   At least 600,000 people - half of them children - have been displaced from Al Fasher and surrounding camps in recent months. Inside the city, an estimated 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, remain trapped in desperate conditions, cut off from aid for more than 16 months.   “We are witnessing a devastating tragedy – children in Al Fasher are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Blocking humanitarian access is a grave violation of children's rights, and the lives of children are hanging in the balance.   UNICEF continues to call for immediate and full access, including through expanded pauses in the fighting to allow us to reach all children in need. Children must be protected at all times, and they must have access to life-saving aid.”   The toll on children is catastrophic. Since the start of the siege in April 2024, more than 1,100 grave violations have been verified in Al Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of over 1,000 children. Many were struck down in their homes, inside displacement camps, or in marketplaces. At least 23 children have been subjected to rape, gang rape, or sexual abuse, while others have been abducted, recruited, or used by armed groups. Due to limited access and verification challenges, the number of affected children is almost certainly significantly higher.   This week saw reports of another mass casualty event, as seven children were reportedly killed in an attack on Abu Shouk Internal Displacement camp, located on the outskirts of Al Fasher.   In Al Fasher, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege has completely cut off supply lines. Health facilities and mobile nutrition teams have been forced to suspend services as supplies have been depleted without new supplies able to enter, leaving an estimated 6,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without treatment. Without therapeutic food and medical care, these children face an exponentially higher risk of death.   Health and education facilities have come under continued attack, with 35 hospitals and 6 schools struck, including Al Fasher Saudi Maternal Teaching Hospital, which was hit more than ten times, killing and injuring many, including children. In January, shelling destroyed the therapeutic health centre at Abu Shouk camp, depriving thousands of malnourished children of treatment.   Meanwhile, acute malnutrition is spreading fast. More than 10,000 children in Al Fasher have been treated for SAM since January – nearly double last year’s figure. But depletion of supplies has now forced the suspension of services. Recent reports indicate at least 63 people – mostly women and children – died of malnutrition in a single week.   The situation in the wider region is also concerning; In July, Mellit locality – hosting many displaced from Al Fasher – recorded an Acute Malnutrition rate of 34.2 per cent, a record high since the onset of the war in April 2023 in Sudan.   The siege is colliding with Sudan’s worst cholera outbreak in decades. Since July 2024, more than 96,000 suspected cases and 2,400 deaths have been reported nationally, with nearly 5,000 cases and 98 deaths in Darfur alone. In overcrowded camps around Tawila, Zamzam, and Al Fasher, children weakened by hunger are now highly vulnerable to deadly waterborne disease.   UNICEF continues to call on the Government of Sudan, and all other concerned parties, to help ensure sustained, unimpeded, and safe access to reach children wherever they are in Sudan, including:   An immediate and sustained humanitarian pause in Al Fasher and across other conflict-affected areas. Unimpeded humanitarian access for the delivery of therapeutic food, medicines, clean water, and other essentials. The re-establishment and continuity of UN and partner operations in the areas most critically affected. Protection of civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure in line with international humanitarian law.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/after-500-days-under-siege-children-sudans-al-fasher-face-starvation-mass http://sudan.un.org/en/300675-statement-attributable-spokesman-secretary-general-sudan http://www.msf.org/attacks-across-darfur-sudan-leave-nearly-100-wounded-msf-facilities http://www.msf.org/sexual-violence-darfur-must-end http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/war-atrocities-sudan-civilians-deliberately-targeted-un-fact-finding-mission?sub-site=HRC http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudan-msf-report-documents-ongoing-mass-atrocities-against-civilians-el-fasher-north-darfur http://www.care.org/media-and-press/new-care-research-confirms-sudanese-women-farmers-are-hardest-hit-by-food-system-collapse/ http://www.care.org/media-and-press/funding-cuts-amidst-conflict-leave-sudanese-starving-women-and-children-particularly-affected/   13 Aug. 2025   One year after famine first confirmed in Sudan, WFP warns that people trapped in El Fasher face starvation - World Food Programme   One year since famine was first confirmed in Sudan’s Zamzam camp in North Darfur, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that the families trapped inside the besieged state capital, El Fasher, face starvation. The city is cut off from humanitarian access leaving the remaining population with little choice but to fend for survival with whatever limited supplies are left.   WFP has not been able to deliver food assistance to El Fasher by road for over a year as all roads leading there are blocked despite the massive needs in the besieged city.   Hundreds of thousands of people trapped in El Fasher face starvation, as the city remains cut off from World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian assistance.   “Everyone in El Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war. Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.”   With trade routes cut off and supply lines blocked, basic food items like sorghum or wheat, which are used to make traditional flatbreads and porridges, cost up to 460 percent more in El Fasher than in the rest of Sudan. Community kitchens were set up by local groups during the war to provide hot meals to hungry people, but only very few are still functioning.   Civilian infrastructure – including markets and clinics – have been attacked. Reports indicate families are resorting to consuming animal fodder and food waste for survival. Many who have managed to flee have cited an escalation of rampant violence, looting, and sexual assault.   “In El Fasher there was a lot of shelling and hunger. Only hunger and bombs. That’s why we left El Fasher,” eight-year-old Sondos told WFP. Sondos fled El Fasher with her five family members who had been surviving on only millet. She is among some 400,000 people recently displaced to Tawila who are receiving WFP support.   Corinne Fleischer, WFP’s Director of Supply Chain and Delivery: “Access is blocked to key locations like El Fasher. We must be given the space to reach all civilians in need.”   “WFP is ready with trucks full of food assistance to send into El Fasher,” said Fleischer. “We urgently need guarantees of safe passage.”   WFP assistance has helped reduce the risk of famine in six areas of Central Darfur and two in West Darfur. But WFP requires $645 million over the next six months to continue emergency food, cash, and nutrition assistance. Some families in displacement camps in eastern Sudan who have relied on WFP support over two years are now receiving nothing.   http://www.wfp.org/news/one-year-after-famine-first-confirmed-sudan-wfp-warns-people-trapped-el-fasher-face-starvation http://www.wfp.org/stories/wfp-calls-humanitarian-access-sudanese-city-grapples-starvation http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165642   12 Aug. 2025   Sudan INGO Forum condemns the Persistent Violations of International Humanitarian Law in El Fasher, where Civilians are Starving and Besieged   International non-governmental organizations working in Sudan condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the renewed and devastating attacks on El Fasher that began on August 11 and persisted throughout the day and night. Indiscriminate shelling has caused widespread destruction of homes, markets, hospitals, and displacement sites. Local responders report at least 40 civilians killed as two displacement camps were attacked. Once again, the city’s residents are bearing the brunt of flagrant violations of International Humanitarian Law.   The people of El Fasher have remained trapped in a siege for over fourteen months. The city is being strangled, not only by the relentless aerial and artillery bombardments but also the calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war. Aid has been systematically blocked from entering for months, while traders face attacks and farmers are prevented from planting.   Anecdotal reports of recent food hoarding for military use add to the suffering of civilians. With markets depleted, high taxes on the movement of goods, and prices spiralling, civilians have been forced to eat animal fodder to survive, supplies of which are running out.   Local responders operating communal kitchens are being targeted and, with no funds remaining, can only serve women and children. Lacking safe shelter, some civilians have resorted to digging holes in the ground to protect themselves from shelling.   Sustained attacks, obstruction of aid and targeting of critical infrastructure demonstrate a deliberate strategy to break the civilian population through hunger, fear, and exhaustion. There is no safe passage out of the city, with roads blocked and those attempting to flee facing attacks, taxation at checkpoints, community-based discrimination and death.   Survivors recount being looted of even their water, and having to dig hurried graves along the route for those who died or were killed along the way. Aid workers and their families continue to be targeted and detained, and multiple reports point to widespread sexual violence and exploitation targeting those fleeing.   We call on all parties to the conflict to:   Immediately cease all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Guarantee safe, voluntary, and dignified passage for all those wishing to leave the city.   Halt the use of explosive weapons in civilian areas, including displacement camps. End the siege and allow unhindered humanitarian aid and traders into and out of El Fasher.   Uphold their obligations under IHL and commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and ensure accountability for those responsible for war crimes.   We urge the international community, including the UN Security Council, regional bodies, donor states, and those with influence over parties to the conflict and their sponsors to take decisive action to protect civilians in El Fasher and across Sudan, including by upholding UNSC Resolution 2736 on El Fasher and UNSC 2417 on the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Silence and inaction serve to embolden further mass atrocities.   The people of El Fasher cannot wait: their survival depends on an immediate end to the violence, unrestricted humanitarian access, and steadfast protection of their fundamental rights.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ingos-condemn-persistent-violations-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-el-fasher-where-civilians-are-starving-and-besieged   July 2025   Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day. (IPC, Plan International)   In response to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on the situation of famine in Sudan, Plan International Sudan’s Country Director, Mohamed Kamal, says: “We are already seeing signs of mass starvation in camps where mothers arrive unable to feed their children and today’s IPC forecast is a grave warning the situation is only going to get worse. Our fears are becoming a reality.   “This is the worst hunger crisis is the world right now – the conflict is entering its third year and the IPC have warned the situation is expected to deteriorate dramatically between July and September, with children most at risk. 24.6 million people in Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity with 8.1 million facing emergency levels.   “Famine was detected in 5 areas in El Fasher and the Western Nuba Mountains and these areas are particularly difficult to reach to provide humanitarian aid as the security situation is so severe here. With the impending rainy season due, travel will be further hindered which will also drive-up food insecurity levels in the months ahead.   “Children are starving to death from dehydration and malnutrition in Sudan every day. Hundreds of thousands are malnourished. A 10-year-old girl recently told us that for months her only meal has been lentil soup every day and that she dreams of fruit.   “For girls and young women, the impact is especially severe – girls often eat last and least and are at greater risk of early marriage, as families struggle to feed their children.   “The inaccessibility of safe water has led to a widespread outbreak of cholera in many parts of the country with over 32,000 suspected cases recorded this year. Cholera can be deadly for malnourished and dehydrated children.   “Last month we saw an attack on a joint UN humanitarian convoy in North Darfur in which aid workers were killed and life-saving food and nutrition supplies destroyed rather than reach starving families. It is getting increasingly hard to operate in the most at need regions.   “As the conflict continues, farming is disrupted and Sudan faces serious economic instability and high inflation which limits people’s access to food. This has been compounded with overseas aid cuts as community kitchens who relied on this money can no longer operate.   “This is the world’s largest humanitarian emergency the international community must urgently support a peaceful resolution to this conflict, which has been devastating the people of Sudan for over 2 years.”   Dr. Unni Krishnan, Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International said:   “Hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine, while tens of millions more have dangerously little to eat. Without a permanent ceasefire that allows aid to reach all parts of the country and a rapid, large-scale increase in humanitarian funding, countless more children will die from hunger and preventable disease. Now is the time to act to save lives.”   http://plan-international.org/news/2025/07/11/children-starve-famine-risk-persists-sudan/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-132/en/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Alert_Sudan_July2025.pdf http://www.wfp.org/news/one-year-after-famine-first-confirmed-sudan-wfp-warns-people-trapped-el-fasher-face-starvation http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-attacks-kordofan-states-hundreds-deaths-displacement-collapse-services http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/famine-tightens-grip-on-sudan-ingos-call-for-immediate-access-for-aid http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-sudan-reduced-skin-and-bones-unicef-calls-urgent-action http://www.unicef.org/sudan/press-releases/over-640000-children-under-five-risk-cholera-spreads-sudans-north-darfur-state http://www.msf.org/war-fuels-cholera-outbreak-across-sudan http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165605 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165580 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/08/sudan-un-expert-concludes-official-visit-port-sudan-expressing-alarm http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-women-food-insecurity-and-famine-risk-sudan-gender-snapshot-21-july-2025 http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/08/women-in-sudan-are-starving-faster-than-men-female-headed-households-suffer/   7 July 2025   UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan as displacement, hunger and disease escalate. (UN News)   UN humanitarians on Monday sounded the alarm over the worsening conditions in Sudan, as violence continues, and food and water remain at critically low levels.   The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, which has witnessed some of the worst episodes of the ongoing conflict between rival militaries.   Those remaining in El Fasher are facing “extreme shortages” of food and clean water, with markets repeatedly disrupted, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists.   Across the city, nearly 40 per cent of children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition, including 11 per cent with severe acute malnutrition.   Most of the surrounding water infrastructure has also been destroyed or rendered non-functional due to minimal maintenance and fuel shortages, Mr. Dujarric added.   Since April 2023, an estimated 780,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher town and the nearby Zamzam displacement camps, including nearly 500,000 in April and May of this year. Famine conditions have been confirmed in the area since last August.   About three-quarters of Zamzam camp’s residents fled to various locations across Tawila, where the UN and its partners have scaled up critical humanitarian assistance.   Mr. Dujarric further warned that the breakdown of water and sanitation services, combined with low vaccination coverage, has sharply increased the risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera. So far this year, Sudan has reported more than 32,000 suspected cholera cases.   According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cholera cases continue to rise across Darfur, with over 300 suspected cases and more than two dozen deaths reported in South Darfur state last week alone.   “Conflict and collapsing infrastructure continue to drive the spread of the disease and impede response efforts,” Mr. Dujarric stressed.   Since war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 12 million forced to flee their homes – including approximately four million as refugees in neighbouring countries.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/number-severely-malnourished-children-doubles-north-darfur-nutrition-crisis-deepens http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ipc-alert-famine-affected-areas-sudan http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/sudan-tawila-operational-response-plan-orp-august-october-2025 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165367 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165340 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165367 http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-syria-sudan-myanmar-haiti-ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/unicef-humanitarian-snapshot-children-under-siege-north-darfur-humanitarian-crisis-al-fasher-zamzam-camp-and-tawila http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/july/sudan-darfur-displacement http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-surge-darfur-displacement-pushes-tawila-full-scale-crisis-cholera-spreading http://reliefweb.int/country/sdn http://www.msf.org/mass-atrocities-continue-el-fasher-sudan http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/sudan-protection-risk-analysis-2025 http://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-escaping-sudan-face-escalating-hunger-and-malnutrition-food-aid-risks-major http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/sudan-life-saving-aid-must-reach-the-people-caught-between-the-rains-and-conflict/   20 June 2025   UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned today of the disastrous consequences stemming from ongoing and escalating hostilities across the North Darfur and Kordofan regions in Sudan, where civilian casualties, sexual violence, abductions and looting have been reported in multiple areas.   “The recent fighting and grave risk of further aggravation in an already brutal and deadly conflict raise severe protection concerns, amid a pervasive culture of impunity for human rights violations,” the High Commissioner said.   On 15 June, after a year-long siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a further attack on El Fasher, following months of increased mobilisation of fighters, including the recruitment of children, across Darfur. The operation, with its ground offensive to capture the city, mirrors the RSF’s offensive on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in April, which led to hundreds of civilian deaths, widespread sexual violence and a humanitarian catastrophe.   In South Kordofan state, civilians also remain trapped by the fighting between the parties vying for control of the strategic town of Al Debibat. Meanwhile, in North Kordofan state, the RSF have reportedly surrounded the city of El Obeid, currently held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups, and may attack it in the coming days, as announced by the RSF commander.   “We know where further escalation will lead,” Turk said. “For too long already, the world has witnessed the unbound horrors unfolding in Sudan and the untold suffering of its people. Civilians must be protected at all costs. Violations and crimes must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible be held to account,” he added.   “I urge the parties to ensure civilians can safely leave El Fasher, Al Debibat, and El Obeid, as well as other places where civilians may be trapped by the conflict. All parties must refrain from attacking civilian objects, ultimately lay down their weapons and put an end to hostilities,” Turk said.   “I call on all States to exert their influence to press for a durable political solution, and to ensure respect by the parties to the conflict for international humanitarian law. I also urge them to press for an end to the flow of arms into the country, and to restrain the business interests sustaining this conflict.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/06/sudan-turk-warns-catastrophic-surge-violence http://www.care.org/news-and-stories/sudan-crisis-fear-we-wont-survive/   Apr 2025   Statement by Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis:   “This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed.   “We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive.   Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet.   We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan.   “Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives.   “I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.”   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/sudan-crisis-two-years-on http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/port-sudan-drone-attacks-call-protect-civilian-infrastructure-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/sudan-un-expert-calls-end-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure-amidst http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-experts-demand-international-action-human-rights-violations-escalate http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/9355/2025/en/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162771 http://news.un.org/en/focus/sudan-conflict http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories?responses=30 http://unocha.exposure.co/sudan-1   http://www.msf.org/people-fleeing-zamzam-camp-arrive-overwhelmed-humanitarian-response-tawila http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-3-2-may-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/massive-scale-needed-more-ever-rainy-season-msf-warns-european-parliament-sudan-crisis http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/forced-displacement-north-darfur-overwhelms-aid-operations-and-increases-civilian-vulnerability http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-01-15-april-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-23-children-and-9-aid-workers-reportedly-killed-al-fasher-abu-shouk-and-zamzam http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attacks-zamzam-and-abu-shouk-camps-and-al-fasher-must-end-now-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-turk-gravely-concerned-rising-civilian-deaths-and-widespread-sexual http://tinyurl.com/mpbyba67 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sexual-violence-sudan-they-beat-us-and-they-raped-us-right-there-road-public-enar http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164621 http://www.unfpa.org/news/widespread-guns-and-bullets-sexual-violence-used-terrorize-sudans-women-and-girls http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-deplores-darfur-killings-conflict-enters-third http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162116 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162131   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-access-preposition-food-sudan-rainy-season-risks-cutting-roads-starving http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/ http://dataviz.unhcr.org/product-gallery/2025/04/sudan-crisis-deepens-but-attention-wanes-after-two-years-of-war http://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency http://www.iom.int/sudan-conflict-two-years http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-new-report-sheds-light-two-years-devastation-sudan http://www.msf.org/two-years-war-sudan-leave-millions-more-need-ever http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-two-years-unraveling-worlds-largest-humanitarian-disaster-sahel-red-sea-0 http://en.emergency.it/blog/from-the-field/update-from-sudan-as-fighting-erupts-across-the-country/ http://www.concern.net/news/sudan-documentary-women-warzone Visit the related web page
	More than 3 years of war and suffering for the people of Ukraine by OCHA, UN News, OHCHR, IFRC, agencies   Jan. 2025   Ukraine: Overnight attacks claim civilian lives, sever essential services   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that another large-scale overnight attack struck the country, causing civilian casualties and widespread disruption to electricity, heating and water supplies, as temperatures dropped to nearly minus 10°C.   In the capital Kyiv, authorities reported several civilian deaths and more than 20 people injured, while five rescuers and four health workers were injured while helping people affected by the attacks. Since the start of the year, the World Health Organization has reported nine attacks on health care in Ukraine.   Also in the city of Kyiv, authorities and aid workers said that the strikes damaged energy infrastructure, nearly 50 multi-story residential buildings, four schools, ambulances, railway infrastructure and a diplomatic facility. Half a million households were left without electricity, heating or water. In the Kyiv region more than 370,000 consumers remain without power.   The regions of Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Lviv and Zaporizhzhia were among the hardest hit. Hostilities damaged residential housing and civilian infrastructure, including railways. Amid the severe cold, rolling power outages and disrupted heating and water supply are impacting people nationwide.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-sudan-ukraine-occupied-palestinian-territory http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166748 http://ukraine.ohchr.org/en/2025-deadliest-year-for-civilians-in-Ukraine-since-2022-UN-human-rights-monitors-find http://ukraine.ohchr.org/en   Oct. 2025   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk address to UN Human Rights Council (Extract):   "Three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.   This year has seen intense attacks along the frontline, and massive airstrikes, largely in populated areas. In some towns in frontline communities, nearly all the housing has been damaged or destroyed.   Russian forces reportedly launched the largest air attack of the war on the night of 6 September, sending a total of 823 munitions, including 810 long-range drones and 13 powerful missiles, over Ukraine.   Harm to Ukrainian civilians has risen sharply, with total casualties in the first eight months of the year increasing by 40 percent compared to last year. In July we documented the highest number of civilian casualties in a month in more than three years.   Since the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, we have documented more than 50,000 Ukrainian civilians killed and injured, including more than three thousand children.   Continued attacks on critical infrastructure, including power stations, gas facilities, bridges, and railways, disrupt daily life and essential services.   Vulnerable groups, including children, older people and those with disabilities, are hardest hit by attacks on civilian infrastructure. The onset of winter will only make their living conditions even worse.   The Russian Federation has reported civilian casualties at much lower levels, resulting from alleged attacks by Ukrainian forces, but we have not been able to verify these figures.   Meanwhile, the Russian Federation has detained large numbers of both Ukrainian civilians and military personnel. The report we issued last week lays bare the violations of international law inflicted on civilian detainees. In many cases, people living in occupied territory have been arbitrarily seized from the street and held for weeks, months, or even years. In a significant number of cases, these detentions may amount to enforced disappearances..   Amendments to the laws of the Russian Federation have entrenched impunity for military personnel, enabling extrajudicial executions, torture, and ill-treatment to go unpunished.   We have also recorded cases of the Ukrainian authorities torturing and mistreating detainees connected to the conflict. Many of these were in 2022. The Ukrainian authorities have taken steps to strengthen safeguards and improve detention conditions, but there is limited accountability.   The Russian authorities continue to perpetrate widespread and systematic violations of human rights against Ukrainian civilians in the territory they occupy in the south and east of the country.   Residents face increasing pressure to obtain Russian citizenship to access basic services, or risk intimidation, deportation, and the confiscation of their property.   The Russian occupying authorities have imposed their own curriculum on schools, and introduced patriotic and military education. Surveillance and censorship have intensified putting civilians and human rights defenders at even greater risk. These practices reflect a deliberate effort to suppress dissent and Ukrainian identity.   Our work is shedding light on what is happening to people who are directly affected by this terrible war.   I urge the Russian Federation to respect international law in territory under its control; to ensure effective oversight of all places of detention; and to grant full access for independent monitors to locations where Ukrainian civilian detainees are held.   I urge Ukraine to respect its obligations under international law in its treatment of detainees, by safeguarding them from torture and ill-treatment. And I urge all parties to conduct prompt, independent, and effective investigations of all allegations of violations, and to ensure accountability for perpetrators.   This war needs to end. The human toll on civilians, and on soldiers and their families, is staggering and heartbreaking.   Recent reports that Russian military drones have been seen in countries neighbouring Ukraine remind us of the dangers this war poses across the region and beyond. Every day, as the violence continues, the risks of escalation and expansion grow.   All negotiations and peace initiatives need to prioritize the protection of civilians, and uphold the dignity and rights of all. The people of Ukraine, and of Russia, urgently need peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and General Assembly resolutions, anchored in human rights.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/10/high-commissioner-human-rights-council-ukraine-war-needs-end http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166025   22 Sep. 2025   The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that hostilities over the weekend and early this morning killed and injured civilians across Ukraine.   According to authorities, more than a dozen civilians were killed and over 90 others injured, including health workers and emergency responders.   Strikes hit two major cities – Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia – as well as front-line communities and areas further from the front line, damaging homes, schools and other civilian facilities.   In Dnipro, a large missile and drone attack on 20 September injured dozens of people and damaged apartment blocks and several educational institutions. In Zaporizhzhia, strikes early this morning hit residential neighbourhoods, causing multiple civilian casualties.   In the Chernihiv region, health workers were injured on 19 September while responding to attacks. The following day, rescue workers were also injured while responding to earlier strikes. Civilian casualties were also reported in Donetsk, Kherson and several other regions.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-central-african-republic-haiti-ukraine http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/17/russian-strike-kills-dozens-of-older-people-in-ukraine   28 Aug. 2023 (UN News)   Russia’s latest deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight including the capital, Kyiv, left four children dead and dozens injured, UN aid agencies reported on Thursday.   The youngest victim of the bombing raid was two-and-a-half years old, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, which released video footage showing smoke billowing from a Kyiv apartment block with a massive hole where its roof had been.   Leading condemnation of the attacks, the UN Secretary-General said that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure violated international humanitarian law. They are “unacceptable and must end immediately".   According to authorities, at least 15 people were killed and 40 injured in the attacks. UNICEF Representative, Munir Mammadzade, insisted that nowhere in Ukraine is safe today. The air-raid alert in Kyiv lasted almost 12 hours, he noted.   The senior UN official condemned the “continuous attacks” involving ballistic missiles and drones by Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.   “I’m just back from one of the sites that were impacted, severely… and still, the search and rescue operation is continuing,” he said, adding that clothes, toys and shoes lay strewn across the pavement of the impacted residential area in the capital’s Darnytskyi suburb. “Across the city, there were four kids confirmed killed and more than 10 injured; most likely these numbers will go up,” he added.   Authorities report that the strikes destroyed a five-storey building and damaged over 100 residential buildings, a kindergarten, a shopping centre, media offices, the premises of humanitarian organizations, and the offices of the EU Delegation and the British Council. The Ukrainian Railway Company also reported damage to their facilities and intercity trains.   The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attacks, stressing that they highlight the constant danger facing civilians in Kyiv and across the country.   Hostilities in front-line regions continue. Local authorities report that six people were killed and dozens injured yesterday and today. Damage to civilian infrastructure was also reported in the regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. In Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region, nearly 40 residential houses were damaged.   In the region of Vinnytsia, authorities reported that strikes on energy infrastructure left some 60,000 households without electricity across 30 towns and villages. This follows earlier attacks on energy facilities in six regions, heightening concerns ahead of winter.   18 Aug. 2025 (UN News)   Russian drone strikes on Ukraine overnight including in the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia killed at least 14 people – including three children.   UNICEF calls for end to attacks   “More young lives lost and devastated in brutal attacks in Ukraine,” UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said condemning the attacks. “End attacks on populated areas. Protect children.”   Footage released by the Ukrainian authorities showed an apartment complex in Kharkiv with a massive hole in the shattered roof and upper floors, where fires had been extinguished.   Kharkiv is located in the northeast of the country and just 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from the Russian border. Ukraine’s second city has suffered heavy destruction and repeated shelling since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022.   Meanwhile, a separate Russian attack on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia left three dead and approximately 20 injured, according to the Ukrainian authorities, who said they had shot down 88 drones and missiles launched overnight.   A recent update from UN human rights monitors in Ukraine noted that July saw the highest number of civilian casualties in the country since May 2022, with 286 killed and 1,388 injured.   “Aerial bombs caused the biggest rise and short-range drones made up 24 per cent of casualties,” said the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).   The increase in the number of civilian casualties between June and July 2025 mainly took place in areas controlled by the Ukrainian Government along frontlines. This indicated the “intensive military efforts by Russian armed forces to capture territory”, the UN monitors explained.   And although long-range missile strikes and other munitions caused about 20 per cent fewer casualties in July compared with June, they were responsible for almost 40 per cent of all non-combatant deaths and injuries, including in the cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv and Kyiv.   Short-range drones were the second leading cause of civilian casualties, accounting for nearly one in four death and injuries (64 killed and 337 injured), said HRMMU.   As in June, nearly all civilian casualties (98 per cent) occurred in areas controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. Civilian casualties were recorded across 18 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.   In villages and towns near the frontline, civilians are finding it increasingly difficult to access basic services.   “In many frontline villages, older persons and people with disabilities are living without medicine, electricity, or even clean water,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “Intensifying short-range drone attacks and the coming winter are compounding fear and hardship, disproportionately affecting those most vulnerable.”   With the frontline edging closer, many cities and villages, such as Bilozerske and Dobropillia in Donetsk region, have experienced intense attacks over the past two weeks. In Bilozerske, the local hospital closed down last week, along with pharmacies and banks. Only non-potable water is available, and the electricity supply is frequently interrupted.   Most of those remaining in frontline villages are older persons who face disproportionately high risks of being killed or injured.   HRMMU documented that people aged 60 years and above accounted for over 43 percent of the civilians killed in frontline areas in 2025, despite representing only 25 percent of Ukraine’s general population.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165668 http://news.un.org/en/tags/ukraine   14 July 2025 (OCHA)   The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that a wave of deadly missile and drone attacks were reported across Ukraine over the weekend – with at least 27 civilians killed and 128 injured, including children, according to authorities.   The strikes hit urban centres in western Ukraine, including Chernivtsi, Lviv and Lutsk. Hostilities also intensified in the north and east – notably in the Sumy and Donetsk regions – and continued in the south, particularly in the Kherson region.   Authorities report that multiple houses and education facilities were damaged, and critical services were interrupted. In Chernivtsi, which had previously been less affected by hostilities, two people were killed and 26 were injured. More than 100 apartments, a kindergarten, a social services building and several shops were also damaged.   Following the attacks, aid workers rapidly mobilized to provide emergency medical and psychological support to those affected and to distribute shelter materials to repair damage caused by the strikes.   OCHA’s latest reporting indicates that humanitarian access for aid organizations remained challenging in Ukraine’s front-line communities in May and June due to intense hostilities in the most-affected regions – Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia – with long-range strikes posing threats to aid workers. Increased attacks further from the front line are also increasing risks and driving humanitarian needs across the country.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-ukraine-7 http://www.unocha.org/ukraine http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/70-cent-children-ukraine-lack-access-basic-goods-and-services-material-deprivation http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/07/ukraine-impact-civilians-wave-russian-attacks-underscores-need http://ukraine.un.org/en/297777-civilian-casualties-ukraine-reach-three-year-high-june-un-human-rights-monitors-say http://ukraine.un.org/en/297154-un-human-rights-report-warns-worsening-violations-and-mounting-civilian-casualties   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1163781 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-commission-concludes-russian-armed-forces-drone-attacks-against-civilians http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/index http://ukraine.un.org/en/296381-kyiv-suffers-deadliest-attack-almost-year-un-human-rights-monitors-say http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/people-ukraine-should-not-have-take-cover-shelters-night-after-night-enruuk http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164486   http://dppa.un.org/en/msg-sc-9924-usg-dicarlo-ukraine-29-may-2025 http://www.unocha.org/news/bombs-do-not-stop-trauma-does-not-subside-ukraine-ocha-tells-security-council http://plan-international.org/news/2025/05/28/not-a-target-children-in-ukraine-must-be-protected-from-attacks/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/horrific-strikes-ukraine-reportedly-kill-three-children-injure-least-13 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-air-raid-sirens-halted-one-every-five-lessons-school-year http://www.msf.org/relentless-and-indiscriminate-bombing-ukraine-must-cease   Apr. 2025   Briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, 8 April 2025, by Mr. Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:   "Since we briefed the Security Council on Ukraine two weeks ago, Russian Federation air strikes have continued to kill and maim civilians, including children, and destroy civilian infrastructure.   A massive strike in the densely populated city of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipro region last Friday resulted in multiple civilian casualties – the second fatal attack on the city in a week.   According to the authorities, 18 civilians were killed, including nine children, and 75 others injured when a children’s playground and nearby residential area were hit. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Ukraine, which verified many of the casualties, reported this was the single deadliest strike harming children since February 2022.   In recent weeks, drone attacks have continued to strike cities and cause civilian casualties. Civilian infrastructure – including healthcare facilities, apartment blocks, schools and children’s playgrounds – have suffered extensive damage. This brutal pattern of civilian death and destruction in populated areas must stop.   Hostilities have also continued in the front-line regions of Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk and in the border areas of Sumy, causing extensive damage. More than 90 civilian casualties were recorded in those regions last week, according to authorities.   I saw the impact of these types of attacks first-hand when I visited Ukraine earlier this year. From the families I met in front-line areas near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region to Kupiansk town in the Kharkiv region, they displayed courage, resilience and determination to rebuild their lives and homes. But also, understandable exhaustion, anger and despair that these attacks continue.   They are right to be angry. Because civilians are paying a devastating price for this horrendous war. OHCHR has now verified the killing of at least 12,910 civilians, including 682 children, and the injury of almost 30,700 across Ukraine from 24 February 2022 to 31 March 2025. The true toll is likely far greater.   Nearly 3.7 million people remain internally displaced, with new waves of displacement in the country’s north-east due to hostilities. Children and their caregivers are being evacuated from several front-line towns. There are almost 7 million refugees from Ukraine recorded globally, mainly in Europe.   Media reports also indicate civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions of the Russian Federation.   And we remain unable to reach an estimated 1.5 million civilians requiring assistance in parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions under occupation by the Russian Federation.   International humanitarian law demands that the parties facilitate the rapid, unimpeded access of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. Wherever they are.   Yesterday marked World Health Day, a moment to reflect on the urgent need to safeguard maternal and reproductive health, especially in crisis settings. A new report released by WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF highlights the state of maternal mortality worldwide, including the devastating toll of conflict on women’s health.   In Ukraine, women and girls are facing a special crisis. Since February 2022, pre-term births have made up nearly 50 per cent of all deliveries, putting both mothers and newborns at high risk.   Intimate partner violence, including other forms of gender-based violence, has surged 36 per cent during this period. Displaced women, especially refugees, are among those facing the most severe mental health challenges, with limited access to protection and care.   Almost 13 million people across Ukraine need humanitarian support. The majority are women, children, older people and people with disabilities.   In the first two months of 2025, 290 humanitarian organizations – mainly national NGOs – reached 1.7 million people with vital aid and services, including emergency support following strikes. Thanks to the generosity of donors, 17 per cent of the US$2.6 billion needed for the 2025 Ukraine Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan that I launched with [UN High Commissioner for Refugees] Filippo Grandi in January in Kyiv has been secured – but far more is needed.   Of course, now, we are having to scale back critical programmes. As part of our wider humanitarian reset in response to funding cuts, we and partners are now focusing limited resources on just four strategic, urgent priorities: supporting front-line communities, emergency response, facilitating evacuations and helping the displaced. Increased financial support is vital to ensure humanitarian operations can continue reaching those most in need. Every contribution makes a difference.   We welcome the announcement of a ceasefire focused on energy infrastructure, as well as negotiations to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. Ultimately, the best protection of civilians is that this war ends. Until it does, the negotiating priority – whether as part of a temporary pause or lasting agreement – must start from the protection and needs of civilians.   While talks continue, the fighting rages on, civilians continue to suffer, and the humanitarian crisis deepens by the day.   My two asks today of the Security Council and, indeed, the wider international community go beyond Ukraine alone. Firstly, I must reiterate that under the international humanitarian law that this Council is here to defend, parties to conflicts must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.   Indiscriminate attacks on them are strictly prohibited: There must be limits to how war is waged. At its best, this Council, and the Member States here, have upheld that idea – even wars have rules. Is that not why we are here?   And yet, on my visits from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan to Lebanon to Myanmar – from where I returned yesterday – I am seeing the opposite: that not only are we not standing robustly for international law, but in some cases we are supporting its debasement. That's the common thread that links these conflicts. And if your principles apply only to your opponents, they are not humanitarian principles.   The world is getting more dangerous for civilians, on our watch. Please, you can do more to ensure that this era of increasingly belligerent, transactional, self-defeating nationalism is not also remembered as one of callous impunity and brutal indifference, in which the rights of civilians are discarded again and again with a shrug.   If we do not make our stand on this point, consistently and unequivocally, then what do we stand for anymore? And how can we expect anyone to listen to us, or hope that others will make better choices in the future?   My second ask, Mr. President, is the funding to save lives in an increasingly dangerous environment, and this era of savage cuts. If you cannot stop the attacks on civilians – in Ukraine and elsewhere – please, at least give us the security and resources to save as many survivors as we can.   http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/ukraine/mr-tom-fletcher-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-briefing-security-council-humanitarian-situation-ukraine-8-april-2025 http://www.unocha.org/news/security-council-un-deputy-relief-chief-warns-growing-civilian-suffering-ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-april-2025 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/friday-was-one-deadliest-days-civilians-year-enuk http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/news-comment-unhcr-s-grandi-urges-world-remember-ukraine-s-displaced-and-war http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/people-still-being-forced-flee-war-ukraine-continues http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-after-three-years-war-ukrainians-need-peace-and-aid http://www.ifrc.org/document/tipping-point-how-financial-strains-are-driving-ukrainians-abroad-back-home   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/70-cent-children-ukraine-lack-access-basic-goods-and-services-material-deprivation http://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/press-releases/incessant-attacks-devastating-young-lives http://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/documents/ukraine-humanitarian-situation-report-47 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2025-january-2025-enuk http://www.wfp.org/news/three-years-ukraine-war-one-third-population-frontline-regions-struggle-find-enough-eat http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/february/ukraine-three-years-on-sharp-increase-in-basic-needs-along-the-frontline http://www.msf.org/medical-humanitarian-needs-ukraine-remain-urgent-ever http://www.ifrc.org/article/ukraine-ifrc-president-kate-forbes-reflects-scars-conflict-and-long-road-recovery http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/suspension-of-us-international-aid-has-serious-consequences-as-ukraine-marks-three-years-of-war/ http://unocha.exposure.co/ukraine-three-years-of-fullscale-war   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-i-fear-i-wont-be-able-help-my-child-75-people-struggling-make-ends-meet-after-3-years http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/three-years-loss-and-fear-war-ukraine-shatters-childrens-lives http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/i-have-force-smile-children-continue-bear-brunt-war-ukraine-after-three-years-conflict http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/advocacy-brief-three-years-full-scale-war-ukraine-enuk http://www.caritas.org/2025/02/three-years-of-full-scale-war-in-ukraine/ http://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/in-focus/women-leading-humanitarian-aid-and-economic-resilience-after-three-years-of-war-in-ukraine http://www.unfpa.org/ukraine http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukrainian-women-and-girls-voices-must-be-central-conflict-resolution-three-years-full-scale-war-leave-millions-ukrainians-uprooted   http://reliefweb.int/country/ukr http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/ukraine http://ukraine.ohchr.org/en/Human-rights-3-years-into-Russias-full-scale-invasion-of-Ukraine http://ukraine.ohchr.org/en/UN-report-details-devastating-impact-of-hostilities-on-children-in-Ukraine http://phr.org/news/1762-attacks-on-health-care-over-three-years-as-russia-escalates-its-war-on-ukraines-doctors-and-hospitals-phr/ http://ukraine.un.org/en/289667-civilian-harm-and-human-rights-abuses-persist-ukraine-war-enters-fourth-year http://ukraine.un.org/en/289062-ukraine-short-range-drones-become-most-dangerous-weapon-civilians-un-human-rights-monitors http://news.un.org/en/focus/ukraine http://www.osce.org/chairpersonship/586044 http://www.osce.org/odihr/586050 http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/21/what-policymakers-should-prioritize-ukraine http://acleddata.com/2025/02/21/bombing-into-submission-russian-targeting-of-civilians-and-infrastructure-in-ukraine/
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