SUDAN – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres met with Kamil Idris, the de facto prime minister in Sudan’s army-led government based in Port Sudan, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, 26 September 2025. The discussion focused on the worsening war in Sudan, with Guterres expressing deep concern over the conflict and emphasizing the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire that could open the way to a political solution.
According to the UN, Guterres also raised the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Darfur, particularly in El Fasher and Kordofan, where access to aid remains highly restricted. Both he and Idris underscores the importance of expanding humanitarian corridors, strengthening civilian protection, and advancing reconstruction efforts in war-affected areas.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs this (OCHA) reported that El Fasher has faced repeated artillery and drone strikes, with fighting intensifying around the city. UNICEF confirmed that its compound in the city was hit directly last Wednesday, killing seven people who had taken shelter inside and injuring others. Armed groups had earlier stormed the facility, seizing vehicles and communication equipment.
El Fasher remains the last major city in Darfur under Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have maintained a long-siege aimed at capturing it, worsening already dire humanitarian conditions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 1,600 people fled El Fasher in just two days earlier this week, adding to the hundreds of thousands who previously fled to Tawila, North Darfur, where displaced families live in extremely harsh conditions.
The United Nations estimates that $120 million is urgently needed to meet basic needs in the region. The World Food Program (WFP) announced that it had delivered food assistance to around 450,000 people in Darfur last month but warned that demand is far higher than the available resources.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin used his address to the UN General Assembly to stress the gravity of Sudan’s crisis. He called for expanding the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction to cover crimes committed throughout Sudan, highlighting the scale of atrocities taking place. He underscored that the conflict has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies, with more than 150,000 people killed and over 12 million displaced from their homes. He also emphasized that children in Sudan are entitled to the same safety and stability as children elsewhere and criticized the lack of international attention compared with others global conflicts. Martin stressed that the international community must act urgently to end the war, support humanitarian assistance, and revive hopes for peace.
Kamil Idris, leading SAF government delegation, described Sudan as facing an existential war. He noted that widespread violence has turned towns and villages into silent ruins, underscoring the immense scale of destruction across the country.
At the same time, international pressure is building through coordinated diplomacy. The Quartet, comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, held a high-level meeting in New York. According to Senior U.S. officials, the discussions focused on reviving the Jeddah process, with efforts underway to secure agreement between SAF and RSF on key points before moving toward a formal ceasefire.
Despite these high-level interventions, the reality on the ground remains grim. The RSF’s continued offensive on El Fasher and the prolonged siege have trapped civilians in worsening conditions, while international appeals for aid funding remain underfilled. For millions of Sudanese, the path to peace still hinges on whether global pressure can bring the warring parties to halt the violence.
