The agency received reports summary executions of civilians trying to escape what was the last bastion of Sudan’s military government of El Fasher – with indications of ethnic motivations for the killings – and former fighters laying down their weapons, which is prohibited under humanitarian law.

“The risk of further large-scale ethnically motivated violations and atrocities in El Fasher is increasing by the day.“, warned UN human rights chief Volker Turk.

“Urgent and concrete action”

“Urgent and concrete measures must be taken to ensure the protection of civilians in El Fasher and safe passage for those trying to reach relative safety. »

These alarming reports come as the humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate since the outbreak of conflict in 2023. With more than 12 million displaced or stateless people and more 24 million hunger, Sudan’s crisis is considered one of the most serious in the world.

Hundreds of people were reportedly arrested while trying to flee, including a journalist, OHCHR said. Many civilians, including local humanitarian volunteers, were also killed by heavy artillery bombardments last week.

“External interference”

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters while in Southeast Asia on Monday, this development marked a “terrible escalation” to the conflict, stressing that it was time for the international community to denounce countries that intervene in the war and “provide weapons” to the warring parties, urging them to accept a ceasefire.

Mr. Guterres stressed that the problem lies not only in the fighting between the army and the RSF, but also in the growing “external interference” this undermines the prospects for a ceasefire and a political solution.

Malnourished and traumatized

“Civilians fleeing El Fasher are often held for ransom along the route, with part of the route controlled by militias,” Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, said at Monday’s press conference.

She said aid organizations were receiving adults and children “dehydrated, malnourished, some injured and all traumatized.”

According to information received by OHCHR, five men were executed by the RSF for trying to smuggle food into the town, which has been under blockade by the RSF militia – vying for power during a brutal civil war with the army – for 18 months.

Ms Brown said some of the RSF victims were allegedly accused of supporting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and reports received suggested dozens of civilians had been killed.

She stressed that the dire funding situation, just 27 percent of the request, has left the UN unable to respond to the needs of “traumatized, raped and starving” people.

Aid workers at risk

Nearly 130 aid workers have been killed since the conflict began in April 2023, and volunteers are believed to have been killed in El Fasher, Brown said.

“These people form the backbone of the humanitarian response in the most difficult areas and are also protected by international humanitarian law.“, she added.

Mr. Türk reiterated that RSF commanders have an obligation under international law to protect civilians and ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid.

Addressing a joint summit between the UN and Southeast Asian countries in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres described the region as “a beacon of cooperation” and a key pillar of global stability.

With Timor-Leste’s membership, he said, the collective spirit of the regional organization known as ASEAN has “strengthened”, making the bloc a critical partner in shaping “a more balanced and interconnected world”.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations now has 11 full members, alongside partners such as China, India, the European Union, Russia and Australia.

The UN, for its part, has a global partnership framework with the bloc as well as joint action plans.

Peace, Myanmar and regional stability

Mr. Guterres highlighted four areas where collaboration should be deepened: peace and prevention; sustainable development and financial justice; climate action and digital transformation.

He commended ASEAN countries for their strong contributions to peacekeeping and regional mediation efforts.

The UN chief praised Malaysia for helping facilitate a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, and reiterated the importance of dialogue and restraint in the South China Sea to uphold international law and freedom of navigation.

Turning towards BurmaThe Secretary-General condemned the continuing violence, calling the humanitarian situation “appalling”.

“Thousands of people have died. Millions of people have been displaced. Humanitarian needs are growing,” he said, calling for an immediate end to hostilities, the protection of civilians and “the release of those arbitrarily detained, including democratically elected leaders.”

He reaffirmed UN support for the 2021 ASEAN Five-Point Consensus to resolve the protracted conflict in post-coup Myanmar – and the Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire that same year.

A fairer financial system

The Secretary-General also made a strong call for an overhaul of what he described as an “outdated and unfair” global financial architecture that leaves developing countries “excluded from prosperity.”

“It is high time for reforms,” he said, highlighting that ASEAN economies remain underrepresented in global financial institutions despite their growing economic weight.

The goal of climate change “on life support”

In his opening speechThe Secretary-General has warned that the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels “is on life support”, urging developed and developing countries to increase their climate ambitions ahead of COP30 in Brazil next month.

On digital transformation, he highlighted the UN’s commitment to ensuring that artificial intelligence serves humanity.

Standing together

To a press conference After the summit, Mr. Guterres said ASEAN “offers a vision of hope” amid global uncertainty.

“The United Nations is proud to be ASEAN’s partner,” he said, “as we work to secure a better and more peaceful future for the people of the Southeast Asian region and around the world.”

At a press briefing on Tuesday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called reports of Israeli military action “extremely worrying”, stressing that “we do not want civilians to be bombed again” or for humanitarian operations to “be derailed again”.

Hamas denied involvement in a reported attack on Israeli forces by Palestinian militants earlier in the day, saying it remained committed to the ceasefire – accusing Israel of violating its terms.

The response plan continues

The United Nations relief coordination office, OCHAsaid partners are ramping up efforts under a 60-day response plan.

“UN partners providing water and sanitation report that water distribution is expanding in northern Gaza, where they are now able to deliver 4,600 cubic meters per day to 585 different locations in the Gaza and northern Gaza governorates,” Dujarric said.

Preparations for the rainy season are underway in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza governorates, including cleaning stormwater drainage systems.

Between October 1 and 25, nutrition programs treated more than 4,300 pregnant and lactating women suffering from acute malnutrition, while preventive support reached more than 134,000 mothers and children under five.

Meanwhile, Gaza residents continue their relocation efforts, with many simply seeking to return to their destroyed homes.

“More than 480,000 movements from the south to the north of Gaza have been observed since the start of the ceasefire, while almost 100,500 movements from the west to the east of Khan Younis have also been observed,” Mr. Dujarric said.

“To mitigate exposure to the elements, our partners are helping displaced communities reuse flour and rice bags – originally distributed as food aid, obviously – to turn them into sandbags to strengthen shelters and provide protection against rain and wind,” he added.

Aid delays

Efforts to collect humanitarian cargo at Gaza crossings continue.

However, aid deliveries are experiencing delays due to a rerouting of humanitarian and commercial trucks by Israeli authorities.

“In response to the diversion, several agencies temporarily reduced the number of trucks in their convoys while awaiting an initial assessment of the state of the roads,” said Mr. Dujarric.

“Teams have also already reported congestion and heavy traffic along the new road, causing delays in the movement of humanitarian goods,” he added, noting that the UN continues to work with Israeli authorities and others to address the slowdown.

At the same time, reports from the Israeli NGO Peace Now, cited by the UN human rights office (OHCHR), indicate a increased settler activity: 84 new outposts were established in the past year, compared to 49 the year beforealongside 757 settler attacks recorded during the first half of 2025.

Top United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Sudan, Jacqueline Wilma Parlevliet, said there had been “a significant exodus from El Fasher to Tawila” – about 60 kilometers west of the town – which already hosts around 650,000 displaced people.

The new arrivals told stories of widespread ethnically and politically motivated killings, including reports that disabled people were executed because they were unable to flee, and others were shot dead while trying to escape, Ms. Parlevliet said.

Humanitarian agencies on the ground in Tawila, including UNHCR, are responding as best they can, providing protection services, counseling and cash assistance to affected communities.

Call for humanitarian corridors

However, the UNHCR official warned that the destruction of infrastructure across Darfur – markets, hospitals, schools and homes – has left civilians with few resources.

Additionally, there are reports of “mass massacres” in the town of Barah, located in the central Kordofan region, where the RSF recently took control and carried out similar acts of violence, UNHCR reported.

“We need peace, we need a ceasefire, we need humanitarian corridors,” said Ms. Parlevliet, stressing that many civilians remaining in El Fasher still cannot flee, many of them being “too weak” and the current situation being “too dangerous” for them to move.

IOM demands protection of civilians

The United Nations migration agency, IOMurged all parties to the Sudanese conflict to protect civilians in El Fasher and allow “immediate, safe and unhindered” humanitarian access.

“In just two days, more than 26,000 people have been forced to flee the city,” said IOM chief Amy Pope, warning that “The scenes emerging from El Fasher are horrific. Families walk for days “under the blazing sun… without food, without shelter, without medicine.»

IOM said it was shipping tents and emergency shelter kits to Tawila, but warned that “needs are growing faster than aid can reach people.” The pope urged the world to “act now to end the suffering.”

“Trapped, hungry, terrified”

For 18 months, El Fasher has become “the epicenter of suffering”with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped under an increasingly tight siege by the RSF, the UN said. Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement released Thursday following the announcement of the withdrawal of government forces from the city.

Reports citing satellite images suggest that mass atrocities have already been carried out, showing bodies piled up following large-scale executions and house-to-house cleansing in El Fasher by RSF fighters.

The UN chief said civilians were “trapped, starving and terrified”, while reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire between rival military forces. Civil war broke out in April 2023.

Mr. Guterres strongly condemned reports of rights violations and abuses, “including indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as gender-based violence, ethnically motivated attacks and ill-treatment.”

He reiterated his call for an immediate end to the fighting and urged government military forces and RSF leaders to engage with his Personal Envoy towards a negotiated settlement.

“Destructive winds, dangerous storm surges and catastrophic rainfall” are expected to hit the region, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned.

Continuing to work closely with resident coordinators and UN country teams, the UN is expected to deploy additional staff to Cuba and Jamaica this week, as part of broader efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and coordinate response operations on the ground.

In an article on OCHA said preparations had been strengthened in Cuba, including:

• More than 100 tonnes of rice for the east of the country
• Hygiene kits for 6,500 people
• Fuel Bonds
• Ongoing prevention messages

In addition, the UN allocated approximately $4 million for Cuba. Central Emergency Response Fund (DEER) before the storm.

Additionally, special attention is given to Haiti, a country already struggling with gang violence, disease and gender-based violence. OCHA and its partners are helping national authorities strengthen preparedness and mitigate the potential impacts of the hurricane.

The country’s authorities said priority needs included emergency shelter, essential household items, hygiene and cleaning kits, clean water and additional logistical support to reach isolated areas.

Coordinated efforts

The World Food Program is providing logistical support, generators and food aid to families in Jamaica – which could experience the most powerful storm on record – while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pre-positioned water, sanitation and child protection supplies.

At the same time, the Pan American Health Organization is strengthening its health emergency operations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is preparing shelter support, and other UN partners are mobilizing for relief operations.

“Latin America and the Caribbean is the second most disaster-prone region in the world and children are among the most at risk. » according to UNICEF.