Rapid Support Forces Encircle El Obeid as Sudan Crisis Deepens

The Rapid Support Forces have nearly encircled the strategic city of El Obeid, leaving approximately 600,000 people facing severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. The rebel group has conducted drone attacks resulting in civilian deaths, prompting Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to warn that a human rights catastrophe is unfolding in the city.

This escalation occurs three years into a conflict that began in April 2023, which has created the world's largest displacement crisis with 14 million people forced from their homes. UN officials report widespread atrocity crimes, including torture and gang rape. Human rights defenders have been targeted, detained, or killed, forcing organizations like the SEEMA Centre for the Protection of Women and Children to relocate their operations to Kampala, Uganda.

In response to the surge in brutality, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture issued a special call for emergency applications to support Sudanese survivors. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights continues to document violations despite severe security constraints to preserve evidence for future accountability.