The UN's aid chief, Tom Fletcher, says el‑Fasher in North Darfur has been transformed into "a crime scene" after the RSF seized the city in late October, with survivors reporting mass killings, abductions and sexual violence. The UN Human Rights Council has ordered an investigation and the UN is demanding immediate humanitarian access. More than 100,000 people have fled el‑Fasher while tens of thousands remain trapped without regular aid. Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts suggest possible mass burials and systematic abuses.
UN Aid Chief: El‑Fasher “a Crime Scene” After RSF Seizure — Calls for Investigation and Urgent Access
The UN's aid chief, Tom Fletcher, says el‑Fasher in North Darfur has been transformed into "a crime scene" after the RSF seized the city in late October, with survivors reporting mass killings, abductions and sexual violence. The UN Human Rights Council has ordered an investigation and the UN is demanding immediate humanitarian access. More than 100,000 people have fled el‑Fasher while tens of thousands remain trapped without regular aid. Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts suggest possible mass burials and systematic abuses.
09:14 PM, 11/19/2025Conflict
The United Nations' top aid official says el‑Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been turned into "a crime scene" after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city in late October. UN agencies are pressing for immediate access to assess urgent humanitarian needs and document alleged atrocities.
Tom Fletcher, who recently completed a weeklong visit to Darfur, described the situation in western Darfur as "an absolute horror show." Based on testimony from survivors, Fletcher said el‑Fasher now bears the marks of widespread deliberate attacks on civilians, including reports of mass killings, abductions and sexual violence.
"El‑Fasher, based on the testimonies I heard from many survivors, is basically a crime scene," Fletcher said in a video message. He added that those responsible must be held to account.
The UN Human Rights Council has voted to launch an investigation into alleged atrocities in el‑Fasher, which fell to the RSF on October 26 after an 18‑month siege. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the international community to act, saying there is a "clear duty to act" and warning that inaction risks enabling further abuses.
The RSF denies deliberately targeting civilians and attributes any abuses to rogue elements. However, the UN, human rights organisations and independent observers say evidence — including testimony from survivors and satellite imagery analysed by researchers in the United States — points to mass killings and possible mass burials.
UN officials warn that tens of thousands of residents remain trapped in and around el‑Fasher, cut off from regular aid, medical care and basic supplies. Since the RSF seized control, more than 100,000 people have fled the city for nearby towns and displacement camps, according to the latest UN figures.
Escalation in Kordofan
At the same time, the RSF has pressed eastward into neighbouring Kordofan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports intensified air strikes, drone attacks and heavy troop mobilization since early November, and warns that towns including Babanousa, Dilling and Kadugli face sieges and rapidly deteriorating access to food, water and health services.
UNHCR notes particularly high civilian casualties in Bara, Babanousa, Ghubeish and Umm Krediem, and says families are being displaced both within Kordofan and across state borders to Khartoum, Northern and White Nile states.
Humanitarian officials are calling for unfettered access to affected populations, rapid delivery of life‑saving supplies, forensic documentation of alleged crimes, and accountability for those responsible. The UN and partner agencies say swift action is essential to prevent further loss of life and to deliver urgent protection and relief to civilians trapped or displaced by the fighting.