In Washington, Fletcher Presses For Action As Sudan War Grinds On

By Vibhu Mishra

Sudan is now the world’s most severe humanitarian emergency, the UN’s top relief official warned on Tuesday, urging donors and diplomatic partners to act swiftly as the fighting nears a third year with no end in sight.

Speaking at a donor conference in Washington, DC, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the brutal conflict, famine and mass displacement are pushing millions of civilians deeper into crisis, while aid access remains severely constrained.

Fighting erupted between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, spreading quickly through a country already undergoing political turmoil, increased ethnic tensions, and climate extremes.

Move from words to action

There have been “too many days of famine, of brutal atrocities, of lives uprooted and destroyed,” Mr. Fletcher said, while women and girls have been forced to endure “terrifying sexual violence.”

He stressed that the international community must move beyond expressions of concern to deliver more support and political pressure on combatants for a ceasefire. With that must come extensive humanitarian access.

Mr. Fletcher said the United Nations fully supports diplomatic efforts led by the “Quad” – the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – aimed at securing a humanitarian truce, including the demilitarization of key areas to allow life-saving aid to reach civilians.

“The guns must fall silent and a path to peace must be charted,” he said.

UN ready to deliver

Under its comprehensive 2026 humanitarian response plan, UN agencies aim to reach more than 20 million people across Sudan with emergency assistance. To achieve that target, the Organization requires about $2.9 billion.

Alongside funding, safe and unhindered access for humanitarians and civilians are critical to ensure aid reaches those in need.

Civilians and aid workers must be protected, Mr. Fletcher stressed, urging donors to respond quickly and decisively.

“Let today be at last the signal that the world is uniting in solidarity for practical impact,” he said.

Crisis deepens on the ground

Meanwhile, fighting rages on the ground in Sudan.

According to media reports, Government forces on Tuesday entered South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, which was under a months-long siege by the RSF. The army had also recently broken the blockade of Dilling, a major town about 110 kilometres north of Kadugli.

The fighting continues to drive thousands from their homes into IDP camps and makeshift settlements, facing critical shortages of food, healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter and education.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 11.7 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict, including seven million internally displaced and 4.5 million who have fled to neighbouring countries.