Sudan: UN, WHO condemn massacre in El-Fasher
The United Nations and the World Health Organization have denounced this week’s heinous crime in El-Fasher, western Sudan, where hundreds of people were brutally murdered and filmed.
On Thursday, UN officials declared El-Fasher had “descended into an even darker hell” after the Rapid Support Forces went berserk since overrunning the Sudanese Armed Forces’ last major stronghold.
Videos on social media show the militia members shooting civilians at close range at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, the only functioning hospital in El-Fasher, sparking global outrage.
On October 26, one nurse was killed and three others were wounded at the hospital. On October 28, more than 460 patients and their companions were murdered, while six health workers were kidnapped.
“Women and girls are being raped, people are being mutilated and killed,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Humanitarian and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “As we sit here today, the horror is continuing.”
The official told ambassadors at the Security Council that tens of thousands of starving civilians have fled, with many women, children, and the elderly facing extortion, rape, and violence on their perilous journey.
Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, said the risk of mass atrocities, ethnically targeted violence, and further violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, remains alarmingly high.
In its reaction, the WHO said the massacre is the latest tragedy in the worsening crisis in North Darfur, which has witnessed escalating violence, rising hunger, disease outbreaks, killings, and a collapsed health system.
Since the conflict began, 46 health workers have been murdered in El-Fasher and another 48 injured. The whereabouts of personnel working in three nongovernmental groups remain unknown.
“WHO condemns these horrific attacks on health care in the strongest terms and calls for the respect of the sanctity of health care as mandated under International Humanitarian Law,” a statement reads.
According to the agency, 260,000 people are trapped in El-Fasher with no access to food, clean water, or medical care, while over 100,000 people are expected to move to Tawila, adding to the 575,000 earlier displaced.
Amid reduced surveillance and response activities, El-Fasher has reported 272 cases of cholera and 32 deaths. Over 18,400 cases and 662 deaths have been recorded in 40 localities across Darfur.
Additionally, malnutrition is rising among children and women, weakening immunity to cholera, malaria, and other infectious diseases, because the district has been cut off from humanitarian aid since February 2025.
Announcing that WHO trucks have joined a UN aid convoy carrying food, medicines, and other supplies into El-Fasher, the organization demands an immediate end to hostilities in the city and all of Sudan.