Sudan: UN chief condemns reported executions as starvation risks rise

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General expressed deep alarm on Monday over reports of summary executions of civilians in the Sudanese city of Khartoum North, allegedly carried out by fighters and militias allied with the forces of the military Government. 

Many of the victims are believed to be from the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

“The Secretary-General reminds all warring parties in Sudan of their obligations under international law, especially in relation to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing correspondents in New York.

“Sudanese women, Sudanese children and Sudanese men are paying the price for the continued fighting by the belligerents,” he stated.

Government troops have been battling their former allies-turned military rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), for control of Sudan since April 2023.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the “senseless” war where alleged war crimes have been committed on both sides as having taken an “even more dangerous turn for civilians” – as reports mount of brutal, ethnically targeted killings.

Mr. Türk’s office, OHCHR, is working to corroborate these reports.

Humanitarian crisis escalates

Attacks on civilians continue across Sudan, Mr. Dujarric said.

On Saturday, a strike on a crowded market in Omdurman reportedly killed at least 60 people and injured more than 150, according to UN humanitarians.

Civilian casualties have also been reported in North Kordofan, as well as North and South Darfur.

Aid coordination office, OCHA, has warned of rising fatalities, particularly following reported attacks on the Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine conditions were identified in December.

UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned the indiscriminate attacks at the weekend, stating: “The deliberate targeting of civilian areas represents a blatant disregard for human life and the most basic principles of the laws of war. Such atrocities must cease immediately.”

Rising malnutrition and starvation

The food crisis in Sudan is worsening, with reports confirming more than 70 hunger-related deaths – mostly among children – in Khartoum State, according to OCHA.

In January alone, over 1,100 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded in three Omdurman neighbourhoods, underscoring the dire need for food assistance.

Malnutrition rates are particularly high in areas where access restrictions have forced the closure of community kitchens, a critical lifeline for many families.

“We stress once again the urgent need for increased funding and logistical support to sustain nutrition programmes and community kitchens, ensuring that the most vulnerable – especially children and older people – receive adequate food, nutrition and healthcare assistance,” Mr. Dujarric said.

As the humanitarian catastrophe worsens, the UN reiterates its call for all parties to protect civilians and facilitate access to life-saving aid.

“The suffering of Sudanese civilians has gone on for too long,” Ms. Nkweta-Salami said. “It’s long past time to end this war and prevent further devastation.”