The United Nations has sounded the alarm over the escalating violence in Sudan’s North Darfur, confirming that at least 481 civilians have been killed since April 10. In a statement released Friday, the UN human rights office described the situation as “horrifying,” warning that the actual death toll is likely much higher.
North Darfur has become a fierce battleground in the brutal conflict between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has left tens of thousands dead nationwide and has triggered the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
Among the casualties, at least 210 civilians, including nine medical workers, were killed during a massacre at the Zamzam displacement camp between April 11 and 13. Another 129 civilians lost their lives between Sunday and Thursday this week in El Fasher city, Um Kedada district, and the Abu Shouk camp. Dozens more have reportedly died from starvation, dehydration, and lack of medical care either in RSF detention centers or while attempting to flee violence.
The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands more civilians in North Darfur, many of whom had previously been uprooted by earlier fighting. These displaced populations now face desperate conditions, with humanitarian access severely restricted.
Disturbingly, the UN reports that ethnically targeted attacks have re-emerged, echoing the atrocities of the 2003 Darfur war. Sexual violence is rampant, with harrowing accounts of women, girls, and boys being raped or gang-raped at displacement camps or while escaping attacks.
UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the ongoing violence, highlighting the deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers, medical staff, and even water sources. He warned that critical support systems for victims are collapsing under the pressure.
“The suffering of the Sudanese people is hard to imagine, harder to comprehend, and simply impossible to accept,” Turk said.
The UN is calling for immediate action to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and hold perpetrators accountable, as Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe deepens.
