Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a stark appeal at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, demanding an immediate halt to devastating attacks on civilian infrastructure—including markets, hospitals, and fuel stations—as the war in Sudan grinds deep into its fourth year.
An Unrelenting Humanitarian Emergency and the Push for Civilian Rule
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has generated one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. According to United Nations figures, more than six million people remain displaced internally within Sudan, while roughly 4.5 million have crossed international borders seeking refuge. Addressing delegates in Geneva, Türk insisted that the international community must force a diplomatic reset.
“There needs to be an immediate ceasefire, an end to foreign involvement, and a return to inclusive civilian rule,” Türk stated, highlighting a deteriorating security landscape across Kordofan, Blue Nile, and North and West Darfur where civilian populations face imminent threats.
This urgent appeal accompanied the release of a comprehensive findings report compiled by senior independent investigators. Operating under the UN Human Rights Council as the Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan—established in October 2023—these independent experts detailed how the proliferation of long-range aerial warfare has obliterated any remaining distinction between front lines and safe havens.
The Lethal Evolution of Aerial Warfare and Long-Range Drones
Mohamed Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, detailed to the Council how both warring factions have increasingly deployed long-range drones. These systems have expanded the geographic reach of the bloodshed far beyond traditional combat zones.
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“Drone strikes have injured and killed civilians in their homes, schools, hospitals, markets, displacement sites and places of refuge and while attending weddings, funerals and other community gatherings,” Othman reported. In North Kordofan, repeated RSF drone strikes targeting El Obeid—a city under partial siege—have degraded essential utilities, affecting access to water and energy.
The investigators documented casualty counts stemming directly from these aerial assaults. Citing specific incidents, Othman pointed to successive RSF drone strikes targeting a kindergarten and a hospital in Kalogie, South Kordofan, which left 114 people dead, including 60 children. Simultaneously, documented SAF attacks on the Ad-Da’ein Teaching Hospital claimed the lives of at least 70 people. Based on these documented patterns, the mission concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe both the SAF and RSF have committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law amounting to potential war crimes.
Adding to concerns regarding external fuel for the conflict, the independent report alleged that paramilitary rebel fighters have received significant support from individuals and entities based in the United Arab Emirates, Chad, southeastern Libya, and Puntland in Somalia. The United Arab Emirates has consistently denied accusations that it provides military backing to the RSF.
The Systematic Collapse of Sudan’s Healthcare Infrastructure
Beyond the immediate casualties of drone strikes and artillery, Sudan’s medical infrastructure faces extensive damage. A separate update delivered on Monday by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) underscored that the damage inflicted upon three major facilities in Khartoum—Khartoum Teaching Hospital, the Ophthalmology Hospital, and the Dental Hospital—mirrors a nationwide trend.
Before the outbreak of hostilities, these three institutions functioned as major referral and teaching centres. Today, their structural integrity is severely compromised. Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Sudan, noted the extent of the wreckage: “Operating theatres have been destroyed, imaging equipment lost and several wards have collapsed. Entire blocks and departments are out of service. The buildings need urgent structural repair before patients can be admitted safely.”
Despite the damage, dedicated health workers continue treating patients in parts of the hospitals that remain usable. However, acute shortages of essential medicines and the ongoing displacement of medical professionals continue to limit healthcare access for millions.
Pathways Forward and the Demand for Accountability
As the Human Rights Council reviews the independent findings, international pressure mounts on both military leadership and external actors to cease hostilities immediately. The convergence of targeted infrastructure attacks, documented war crimes, and mass displacement paints a grim picture of a nation caught in the crosshairs of an intractable power struggle.
The core question remains whether international diplomatic leverage can pierce through the entrenched positions of the SAF and RSF. How can global bodies enforce accountability when supply lines for advanced weaponry continue to bypass international embargoes? Share your thoughts and insights on the path to peace in Sudan in the comments below.
