UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has urged immediate international action to halt the fighting in Sudan and warned that El Obeid must not become "the next senseless tragedy." Speaking before an urgent UN Human Rights Council debate, she called for "unity and resolve." A UN official says drone strikes killed more than 1,000 civilians in the first five months of 2026, and Cooper warned that arms flows from over a dozen countries are sustaining the war.
Yvette Cooper Urges Urgent International Action to Stop Sudan Violence as El Obeid Faces Drone Strikes
FILE PHOTO - Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, speaks before the start of the International Sudan Conference at the Federal Foreign Office. (is associated with: «UK's Yvette Cooper calls for end to Sudan violence ahead of UN debate») Michael Kappeler/dpa
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for an immediate end to the violence in Sudan, warning that the city of El Obeid must not be allowed to become "the next senseless tragedy." Her appeal comes ahead of an urgent debate at the UN Human Rights Council scheduled for Friday.
Cooper urged the global community to show "unity and resolve" and to use whatever influence they have to halt the fighting and protect civilians.
"Over the past weeks, dozens of drone strikes have hit El Obeid in Sudan, targeting aid workers, killing civilians and disrupting access to essential services. We have seen this deadly pattern before. The international community cannot look away."
"Last year, the world failed the people of El Fasher, where there were horrendous atrocities. We cannot allow El Obeid to be the next senseless tragedy."
According to a senior United Nations official, drone strikes killed more than 1,000 civilians in Sudan during the first five months of 2026. The strikes have also impeded the delivery of humanitarian aid and forced many communities to flee.
Cooper warned that outside support is sustaining the conflict. "External support is helping to sustain this war. More than a dozen countries are involved in the flow of arms and other support to the warring parties," she said, urging governments to stop supplying weapons and assistance that fuel further bloodshed.
She added:
"Those fuelling the conflict must stop and those with influence over the parties must use it now to prevent further bloodshed."
Cooper described the upcoming Human Rights Council debate as both an opportunity and a test for the international community. "The international community must act with unity and resolve. Division only prolongs the suffering," she said, calling on states and organizations to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to protect civilians and enable humanitarian access.
As rare diplomatic windows open, the debate will be watched closely by humanitarian agencies, regional actors, and affected communities desperate for an end to the violence.
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