EU warns of catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan, calls for truce
Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, EU Commissioner for Equality and acting Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib described hunger, malnutrition, and disease as rapidly spreading across Sudan, with violations of international humanitarian law escalating. She highlighted the particularly dire situations in Darfur and Kordofan, recalling last month’s “horrific attacks” by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their capture of El-Fasher and Bara. "Thousands of civilians in El-Fasher have been killed on ethnic grounds, in house-to-house raids, mass detentions. People (are) unable to leave the city," she said.
Lahbib added that the RSF continues to block humanitarian assistance, further shrinking the available humanitarian space. Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, more than 120 aid workers have been killed, making Sudan one of the deadliest countries for humanitarian personnel.
The commissioner noted that 21 million people face acute food insecurity, according to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, and warned that bureaucratic obstacles continue to hamper aid delivery. She highlighted recent EU sanctions against RSF second-in-command Abdelrahim Dagalo for human rights violations and reiterated the bloc’s call for accountability for atrocities committed in Sudan.
Lahbib stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement with regional actors, citing Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Türkiye, to apply pressure on the warring sides. "Sudan has become a living nightmare for its people and a humanitarian catastrophe," she said, emphasizing that supporting humanitarian efforts remains a priority for the European Commission.
Separately, the EU and the African Union condemned RSF atrocities following the capture of El-Fasher and urged an immediate end to the conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced millions since April 2023 despite repeated regional and international mediation efforts.
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