UN Mission Reveals Horrific Conditions in Besieged Sudanese City
For the first time in nearly two years, United Nations humanitarian workers have gained access to the besieged Sudanese city of Al-Fasher, and what they found was described as an 'epicenter of human suffering.' The UN team, led by humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown, spent several hours in the city that was captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in October 2025 after an 18-month siege.
'Al-Fasher is the epicenter of human suffering,' Brown told AFP in an exclusive interview. 'What we saw was a city that has been largely destroyed, with civilians living in unimaginable conditions without access to food, clean water, or basic sanitation.'
A City Reduced to Rubble
The UN assessment reveals that a significant portion of Al-Fasher's infrastructure has been destroyed. Once home to approximately 250,000 residents, the city now appears largely deserted, with remaining civilians sheltering in abandoned or damaged buildings. The team observed people using pieces of plastic as makeshift blankets, highlighting the extreme deprivation.
According to the Al Jazeera report, the UN described the city as a 'crime scene' following their first access since the RSF takeover. The visit revealed that more than 100,000 residents fled after the RSF seized control on October 26, with survivors reporting ethnically motivated mass killings and widespread detentions.
Evidence of Mass Atrocities
The UN mission comes amid mounting evidence of mass atrocities committed in Al-Fasher. Satellite imagery has revealed what appear to be at least 150 piles of bodies at various locations throughout the city. Researchers believe the RSF has been attempting to destroy evidence of the massacre through burial, burning, and removal of human remains.
'We have not yet gathered sufficient information to determine how many people remain, but we know that large parts of the city have been destroyed,' explained Brown. Her team's limited access provided only a glimpse into the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in North Darfur's capital.
The United Nations has received reports of unlawful killings, abductions, arbitrary detention, and indiscriminate attacks on markets, hospitals, and places of worship in the region.
Humanitarian Crisis of Unprecedented Scale
The situation in Al-Fasher represents just one facet of what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. According to Dabanga Sudan, the conflict has killed nearly 150,000 people since April 2023, displaced 12 million internally, and forced over 4 million to flee to neighboring countries.
UNICEF has warned of unprecedented child malnutrition in North Darfur, with 53% of screened children found to be acutely malnourished, and one in six suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. The Saudi hospital in Al-Fasher remains standing but has exhausted its medical supplies, according to Brown's team.
Historical Context and Ongoing Conflict
Al-Fasher has been a flashpoint in Sudan's civil war since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The city served as the last SAF stronghold in Darfur until its capture in October 2025. According to Wikipedia, the RSF massacre that began on October 26, 2025, represents what humanitarian experts consider the worst war crime committed during the Sudanese civil war.
The conflict has devastated Sudan's infrastructure, with 80% of hospitals in conflict zones non-functional and 17 million children out of school. Epidemics of cholera and dengue have claimed thousands of lives, while infrastructure destruction has caused near-total economic paralysis.
International Response and Future Challenges
The limited UN access to Al-Fasher represents a breakthrough after prolonged negotiations, but humanitarian workers face immense challenges in delivering aid. The Reuters report indicates that aid workers found minimal signs of life in the city following the paramilitary takeover.
Denise Brown emphasized the urgent need for protection of civilians under international humanitarian law, safe passage for those wishing to leave, and access to essential supplies for those who remain. 'The commanders and fighters are accountable under international law,' she stated, 'and humanitarian workers must be protected to continue delivering life-saving assistance.'
As the international community grapples with how to respond to what the UN calls 'the world's worst humanitarian disaster,' the people of Al-Fasher continue to endure conditions that defy comprehension, living in a city that has become synonymous with human suffering on an unimaginable scale.