The United Nations has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of deliberately blocking humanitarian aid to Darfur, worsening an already catastrophic food crisis in the war-torn region. With millions on the brink of famine, UN officials warn that continued obstruction could lead to a large-scale humanitarian disaster.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The conflict has devastated the country, displacing more than 12 million people and leaving 25 million in dire food insecurity.
One of the most alarming battlegrounds is El Fasher, the last remaining state capital in Darfur still under army control. The RSF has besieged the city for months, cutting off crucial aid routes and worsening the crisis for civilians trapped inside.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, denounced the RSF’s actions, stating that the paramilitary group is intentionally restricting aid deliveries by imposing excessive bureaucratic barriers and logistical hurdles.
“The world is watching, and it is unacceptable that humanitarian organizations in Sudan are being prevented from delivering essential aid,” she said.
Millions at Risk as Famine Spreads
The humanitarian situation in Darfur is deteriorating rapidly. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that seven million people in Darfur are experiencing critical levels of hunger. In displacement camps surrounding El Fasher—Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al-Salam—famine has already taken hold, and experts predict hunger will spread to at least five more areas, including El Fasher itself, by May.
The UN has urged the RSF to immediately lift restrictions on humanitarian access and to stop interfering with aid operations. The organization cited unjustified bureaucratic delays, demands for logistical support from aid groups, and forced engagement with pre-approved vendors, all of which are obstructing relief efforts.
Growing Violence & Civilian Deaths
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, Sudan’s civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirmed that one of its Sudanese volunteers was among dozens of civilians killed in an RSF-led attack earlier this month on a crowded marketplace in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.
The artillery strike killed at least 60 people and wounded more than 150 others, including humanitarian workers and civilians struggling to survive amid the escalating violence.
A Nation on the Brink
Sudan’s war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The UN warns that the country is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history, as food shortages, violence, and displacement continue to spiral out of control.
With 25 million people suffering from severe food insecurity, international organizations are calling for urgent intervention to prevent a full-scale famine and further loss of life. However, as long as aid remains blocked and violence rages on, Sudan’s most vulnerable remain trapped in an unfolding catastrophe.
