The United Nations has warned that the killing of civilians in Sudan’s ongoing war more than doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, with thousands more dead remaining unidentified or missing. Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the alarming situation during a briefing to the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.
“This war is ugly. It’s bloody and it’s senseless,” Turk said, attributing responsibility to both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have so far rejected any humanitarian truce. He also highlighted the role of foreign sponsors who have fueled what he described as a “high-tech” conflict.
“In 2025, my office’s documentation points to an over two and a half times increase in killings of civilians compared with the previous year. Many thousands are still missing or unidentified,” Turk added, stressing that the true death toll remains uncertain.
Turk condemned what he called “heinous and ruthless” atrocities, including sexual violence, summary executions, and arbitrary detentions. He drew attention to RSF attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp in April and the El-Fasher area in October, which inflicted widespread carnage on civilians.
“The bodies of Sudanese women and girls have been weaponised to terrorise communities,” he said, noting that more than 500 victims of sexual violence were documented in 2025 alone. Turk expressed grave concern that such crimes may continue unabated.
The violence has spread to the Kordofan region, where drone strikes have killed dozens of civilians at a time. “Since January, escalating drone attacks in South Kordofan and beyond have killed or injured nearly 600 civilians, including in attacks on humanitarian convoys,” Turk said.
Denise Brown, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, who recently took the first UN flight to Khartoum since the war began, confirmed the dire humanitarian conditions. “We were not able to get supplies in. We had to remove our staff for their own safety,” she said. UN-backed assessments declared famine in El-Fasher and Kadugli last November, with Dilling also likely facing famine conditions.
Turk highlighted the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, advanced long-range drones, and the growing militarisation of society, including the recruitment of children and youths.
Several countries have reportedly supported the warring parties: the United Arab Emirates has been accused of arming the RSF, while Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have backed army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Turk called for “diplomatic and political pressure” to push both sides toward a humanitarian truce leading to a permanent ceasefire.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have repeatedly stalled. Burhan recently vowed to fight “until the end” and announced plans to build a “smart army” using advanced technology and research. Earlier this year, the United States and Saudi Arabia proposed a ceasefire plan, which the army is reportedly reviewing, though Burhan has accused mediators of favouring the UAE.
The UN’s latest warnings underline the urgent need for global attention and intervention as Sudan faces one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands dead, millions displaced, and famine threatening vulnerable populations.
