The UN Human Rights Office in Sudan has warned that Al Fasher has become a city engulfed in grief as brutal RSF attacks escalate, leaving civilians trapped and suffering atrocities on an unimaginable scale.
"Over the past ten days, Al Fasher has witnessed an escalation of brutal attacks. It has become a city of grief," Li Fung, UN Human Rights Representative in Sudan, said on Saturday in a video published on X.
"Civilians who survived 18 months of siege and hostilities are now enduring atrocities of an unimaginable scale," she continued.
"Hundreds have been killed, including women, children and the wounded, who sought safety in hospitals and schools. Entire families were cut down as they fled. Others have simply vanished."
The UN representative said that thousands have been detained, including medical personnel and journalists.
"The grim reality of sexual violence is ever-present," Fung said. "This illustrates that there are no safe routes to leave Al Fasher and there are serious protection risks to those who remain trapped in the city, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, those with chronic health conditions and the wounded.
"What we are witnessing is not chaos. It is a systematic assault on human life and dignity. Brutal attacks, often on the basis of ethnicity," Fung added.
Carrying past limitations
She said the UN Human Rights Office in Sudan is continuing to document violations and abuses.
"Despite the disruption to communications and limited access to sources and critical sites, we continue to bear witness, to raise the voice of survivors and to press for accountability," she said.
"We're part of efforts by the UN and humanitarian community to press for safe passage and protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and support to the vast numbers of affected civilians," Fung said.
"Al Fasher is bleeding, and the time to act is now. The violence must be stopped. Civilians must be protected. Victims need access to assistance and redress. Accountability is the only way forward to prevent these horrors from recurring. The world needs to act now," she concluded.
On October 26, the paramilitary RSF seized control of Al Fasher and committed massacres of civilians, according to local and international organisations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the country's geographical partition.
Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.
