Geneva / Al Hamish’s Voice – October 2, 2025
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that the city of Al Fashir in North Darfur faces the risk of a “major catastrophe” if urgent measures are not taken to lift the siege and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
In an official statement issued by his office, Türk said that the siege imposed by the RSF
for more than 500 days along with ongoing fighting, has rendered the humanitarian situation in Al Fashir “unbearable,” stressing that the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians are in imminent danger.
The UN official called for the immediate lifting of the siege and for the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, stressing that any delay in the arrival of supplies could lead to a “total collapse of the health and food situation in the city.”
Türk stressed that the RSF and groups manning the checkpoints bear legal and moral responsibility for protecting civilians and ensuring their safe, voluntary passage under international humanitarian law.
He noted that consistent reports point to the continued targeting of residential areas, markets, and medical facilities in Al Fashir, warning that such violations could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity that require accountability.
Türk stressed that the international community cannot remain idle in the face of what he called a “worsening humanitarian tragedy,” urging UN member states to use their influence to press the warring parties to end the violations and allow aid to reach those in need.
The Human Rights Commissioner concluded with an urgent call for “swift, coordinated international action” to protect civilians in Al Fashir and prevent a repeat of past massacres in Darfur, stressing that time is running out and that “international silence amounts to complicity in the crime.”
