United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo has warned that the consequences of Sudan’s devastating war will be long-lasting, as escalating violence, drone attacks and mass displacement continue to expose civilians to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Speaking as the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to tear through communities, DiCarlo noted that civilians were confronting relentless attacks alongside the additional pressures brought by the rainy season.
According to a UN report, 13 million people have fled their homes since the conflict erupted, with millions seeking safety in other parts of Sudan or across neighbouring borders.
Rosemary DiCarlo revealed that access restrictions had prevented authorities and humanitarian organisations from confirming the true death toll, but warned that the number of people killed was likely to be extraordinarily high.
The warning comes as Sudan enters another phase of an already devastating conflict that has produced mass displacement, severe hunger and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
DiCarlo stated that brutal killings and other grave violations had become recurring features of the conflict, warning that civilians continue to face abductions, sexual violence and other atrocities.
The attacks has spread across several regions, with North Kordofan emerging as a major area of concern. Drone attacks have continued as the warring parties compete for strategically important towns and transport routes, while the United Nations has expressed particular concern about the risk of large-scale atrocities by the RSF in and around El Obeid.
The violence is also affecting Sudan’s border areas, where the arrival of displaced people has intensified pressure on already limited resources.
Near Tina, on Sudan’s border with Chad, drone strikes have contributed to heightened tensions as communities and displaced populations compete over scarce land and other resources. The pressure has created conditions for violent disputes in an area already struggling to accommodate people fleeing the wider conflict.
Adding to the complexity, several armed movements are pursuing their own territorial and political interests, making the conflict increasingly fragmented and complicating efforts to secure a nationwide political settlement.
For civilians, however, the consequences remain immediate and devastating. Millions are struggling to find food, shelter, healthcare and clean water while fighting continues to restrict humanitarian access.
The World Food Programme estimates that more than 19.5 million people out of Sudan’s population of about 51 million are acutely food insecure, highlighting the enormous scale of the hunger crisis.
At the same time, the International Organization for Migration has reported that intensifying fighting has displaced at least another 200,000 people since late 2025, adding to the millions already uprooted by the war.
Seasonal flooding has further compounded the emergency, threatening communities already weakened by conflict and placing additional pressure on humanitarian organisations attempting to deliver assistance.
UN Urges Action as Displacement and Hunger Deepen Across Sudan
Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher added that the humanitarian situation had reached a critical point, with more than two-thirds of Sudan’s population requiring life-saving assistance.
According to Tom Fletcher, the United Nations had recorded 1,400 civilian deaths during the first half of the year, with more than 1,100 attributed to drone strikes.
The figures underline the growing importance of drones in Sudan’s war, with attacks increasingly reaching populated areas and essential civilian infrastructure.
In North Kordofan, fighting around El Obeid has triggered another wave of displacement. Fletcher indicated that approximately 15,000 families had been driven into the city since mid-July, putting further strain on displacement sites and public services that were already struggling to cope.
The situation is similarly critical in South Kordofan, where Dilling and Kadugli remain among the UN’s key humanitarian priorities.
In West Kordofan, where a recent cholera outbreak has compounded the effects of conflict and displacement, the UN’s humanitarian presence remains “very limited.” Intensifying violence in the Nuba Mountains has also cut communities off from assistance in an area already suffering from chronic food insecurity.
In North Darfur, violence and drone strikes continue to restrict humanitarian access, while hundreds of thousands of people who fled atrocities in El Fasher last year remain in desperate need of assistance in Tawila.
Despite the immense challenges, Tom Fletcher noted that humanitarian organisations were continuing to deliver assistance wherever access remained possible.
The UN is on track to reach its target of providing food assistance to 11.4 million people, but remains behind schedule in delivering education, healthcare, shelter and water services.
Fletcher also pointed to progress in reducing bureaucratic barriers affecting humanitarian operations.
The crossing remains an important humanitarian lifeline for people affected by the conflict, particularly those fleeing violence in Darfur and other western regions.
Alongside humanitarian operations, the UN is continuing to support diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a truce and establishing a political path out of the conflict.
The organisation is supporting efforts by the QUAD, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to secure a humanitarian truce. It is also working with the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States and the European Union through the Quintet framework to advance a viable political process.
According to UN representatives, the objective is to build confidence around negotiations and create the conditions for an inclusive Sudanese-led dialogue on the country’s future.
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