UN aid chief presses Sudan paramilitary leader on El Fasher access

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Port Sudan: The UN humanitarian chief talked with Sudan's paramilitary leader on Monday, seeking rapid humanitarian access to the besieged city of El Fasher, where months of war have trapped thousands of residents and driven the region deeper into disaster.

During the call, the UN official spoke of the importance of safe and consistent access for relief agencies to provide food, medication, and other critical supplies to individuals cut off by the conflict. The discussions also centred on protecting people and ensuring that humanitarian staff could function freely.

El Fasher, North Darfur's capital, has been under intensive bombardment by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting Sudan's army since April 2023. The city is a key battlefield in the war since it is the last major urban area in Darfur still under army rule.

The UN has issued many warnings that severe suffering among civilians, starvation, and mass displacement are being caused by ongoing warfare and harsh limitations on humanitarian access. As the violence continues to fuel what the UN calls one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history, aid organisations report that hundreds of thousands of people are still besieged in and around El Fasher, with limited access to healthcare and decreasing supplies.