Civilians in Sudan are living through a nightmare marked by severe hunger, violence, and disease, particularly in Darfur, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported to the UN Security Council on Monday.
The country has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023, with fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Both factions have faced accusations of war crimes, including civilian attacks and blocking humanitarian aid. Guterres highlighted that the suffering is growing by the day, with widespread reports of atrocities and rampant sexual violence. He expressed horror over the violence, adding that over 750,000 people are now at risk of famine.
Sudan is also facing a public health crisis, with diseases like cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles, and rubella spreading in displacement camps.
Despite these severe conditions, Guterres noted that current circumstances prevent the safe deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Sudan.