UN Experts Warn Sudan Facing Catastrophic Atrocities Amid ‘Nightmare of Violence’

United Nations human rights experts have issued a stark warning that Sudan is spiraling into a “nightmare of violence, hunger, and despair,” with the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) generating mass atrocities that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a powerful statement, the experts described the scale and brutality of the violations—ranging from indiscriminate killings and sexual violence to forced disappearances and starvation tactics—as creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.

A Nation in Collapse: Millions Uprooted

According to UN estimates, more than 11 million people have been displaced by the conflict that erupted in April 2023, including 8.6 million internally displaced and over 3 million refugees who have fled across borders into neighboring countries. This makes Sudan the largest displacement crisis in the world.

In cities like El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and other war-torn areas of Darfur, civilians are enduring relentless aerial bombardments, targeted assaults, and systematic destruction of infrastructure. Aid convoys have been obstructed, leaving millions without access to food, water, or medical care. The experts warned that deliberate denial of aid amounts to the use of starvation as a weapon of war, a grave violation under international humanitarian law.

“We cannot allow Sudan to descend further into a nightmare of violence, hunger, and despair,” the experts said. “The deliberate targeting of civilians, combined with the use of starvation, sexual violence, disappearance and displacement as weapons of war, is creating a humanitarian catastrophe of historic proportions.”

Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War

The UN experts highlighted harrowing reports of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, and forced marriages, particularly against displaced women and girls and members of ethnic minority groups. They stressed that these acts are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic campaign of terror.

“Entire communities are being uprooted, families torn apart, and women and girls subjected to horrific levels of sexual violence,” the statement said. Survivors face overwhelming barriers to medical and psychosocial care amid the collapse of Sudan’s healthcare system.

The experts urged the immediate establishment of comprehensive survivor-centered support services, including access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, mental health care, and justice mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable.

Starvation, Disease, and Desperation

The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating as food insecurity reaches catastrophic levels. Reports from Darfur and Kordofan indicate that families are resorting to eating animal fodder or leaves to survive. Humanitarian food banks have been looted or blocked, while aid workers are being detained, attacked, and even killed.

“Starvation is being weaponised as a method of warfare, in clear violation of international law,” the experts warned. “We are shocked by reports of civilians forced to eat animal fodder to survive, women and children being denied access to humanitarian food banks, and families digging graves along the roads as they attempt to flee.”

They further condemned the detention and abuse of aid workers, and sexual exploitation of displaced persons seeking refuge, calling for international investigations into these abuses.

Displacement and the Search for Dignity

Despite the dire conditions, nearly 2 million internally displaced people have tried to return to what remains of their homes, navigating a landscape filled with landmines, destroyed infrastructure, and collapsed services. The experts urged the international community to pursue durable solutions for displaced Sudanese—whether through safe return, local integration, or resettlement—to allow them to rebuild their lives in dignity.

“Durable solutions must be urgently pursued to ensure that displaced persons can rebuild their lives in dignity and safety,” the experts emphasized.

Shared Responsibility of Warring Parties

Both the SAF and RSF, along with affiliated militias, have been implicated in grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law. The experts noted that ethnically targeted attacks and the destruction of entire villages in Darfur have revived fears of genocidal violence reminiscent of the atrocities of the early 2000s.

“There can be no justification for standing idle while atrocities continue,” the UN experts said, urging States and regional powers with influence over the warring parties to apply strong and coordinated diplomatic pressure to end hostilities.

A Call for Global Action and Accountability

The experts called for urgent international intervention—not through military means but through sustained diplomatic, humanitarian, and legal engagement. They demanded that the global community move beyond expressions of concern to concrete measures, including:

• Establishing a comprehensive accountability mechanism through the International Criminal Court (ICC) or ad hoc tribunals;

• Activating universal jurisdiction to prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity;

• Ensuring unhindered humanitarian access and protection for aid workers;

• Supporting civilian-led peace processes grounded in democracy and human rights.

“The people of Sudan cannot afford more broken promises,” the experts said. “Silence in the face of Sudan’s suffering is complicity — the world must act now.”

The Cost of Inaction

Sudan’s social fabric, they warned, is being irreparably torn apart by starvation, trauma, and repeated cycles of displacement. Generations of children are being deprived of education, health, and safety, threatening the future stability of the region.

“Every day that passes without decisive action means more lives lost, more futures destroyed,” the experts cautioned. “Without urgent intervention, the damage to Sudanese society may soon be beyond repair.”

The UN experts have repeatedly raised alarms with the Sudanese authorities about the escalating human rights violations and climate of impunity, but their appeals have largely gone unanswered. They reiterated that ending impunity and restoring civilian governance are essential for sustainable peace.

As one expert concluded, “The international community must not look away. Sudan’s agony is a test of global conscience — and history will remember whether the world stood by or stood up.”