As Sudan's devastating civil war drags on, an in-depth UN report warns of escalating atrocities and a worsening humanitarian nightmare.
Sudan has now endured more than two years of brutal conflict between its national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Despite tireless efforts by international mediators, peace remains elusive.
"Let me be clear, what is happening in Sudan is not only a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity itself," declared Mona Rishmawi, an expert member of the UN fact-finding mission, speaking in Geneva on Tuesday.
She highlighted "widespread" sexual violence, children succumbing to hunger, and the tragic blocking of vital aid.
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"While bombs and bullets dominate the headlines in Sudan, a quieter but perhaps even more brutal war is being waged on the bodies of women, girls and marginalised communities," she told reporters, shining a light on the often unseen suffering.
World's largest displacement crisis
Since April 2023, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo have been locked in fierce hostilities, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of approximately 14 million people - making it the world's largest forced displacement crisis, according to UNHCR.
The UN mission has raised the alarm over the increasing use of heavy weaponry in civilian areas.
"Civilians continue to pay the highest price," said Mohamed Chande Othman, the mission's chair, describing a conflict that is "increasingly complex, brutal".
Both sides have also been accused of weaponising hunger. "Hunger itself is being used as a weapon. Humanitarian aid, as we just heard, is not simply blocked. It is deliberately manipulated," Rishmawi warned.
EU and UK call to put an end to 'horrific' Sudan war at London conference
France calls for 'lasting ceasefire'
Despite Sudan's refusal to grant full access, the UN mission persists in its investigative work, compiling a confidential list of alleged perpetrators of abuses.
In a recent statement, France called for an "immediate and lasting ceasefire" and expressed deep concern for the "devastating consequences of the conflict endured by the Sudanese people".
The French government has also condemned RSF attacks on civilian camps, declaring: "Civilians must be protected and allowed safe passage."
Paris has reiterated its demand for the warring parties to stop using starvation as a weapon and to lift all obstacles to humanitarian assistance.
