A United Nations assessment mission has successfully reached El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in Sudan, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The move comes amidst ongoing efforts to secure a comprehensive humanitarian truce across the country.
OCHA stated that the assessment mission to El Fasher was established after exhaustive humanitarian discussions. They emphasized that this marks the first UN mission to the city, which has endured a prolonged siege, fierce fighting, and acts of violence against civilians and humanitarian workers.
The arrival of the UN team was welcomed by the United States. The U.S. Special Advisor for African Affairs noted that it was encouraging to see the UN assessment mission finally reach El Fasher. He expressed hope that aid convoys would regularly reach El Fasher after the devastating siege and called for unimpeded access to aid across all regions of Sudan.
The U.S. official further indicated that the United States is building on this progress to secure a comprehensive humanitarian truce throughout the country. Washington continues to urge both parties in the Sudanese conflict to accept and implement this truce immediately and without preconditions.
El Fasher has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for over a year and a half. Reports indicate that massacres were committed against the city’s residents after the RSF took control on October 26th. The situation remains extremely precarious for civilians.
Sudan has been gripped by a civil war since April 2023, pitting the army against the RSF due to disagreements over the integration of armed forces. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of approximately 13 million people.
Recent weeks have seen intense clashes between the two sides in the three Kordofan states, forcing tens of thousands to flee. The RSF controls all five Darfur states, except for parts of North Darfur, while the army maintains control over most of the other 13 states, including Khartoum.
