The appeal comes as fighting intensifies in North Darfur, where RSF forces have been attempting to seize control of El Fasher, the last state capital in the region still held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups. The RSF siege has pushed the city and surrounding areas into a deep humanitarian crisis.
According to the statement, “Hundreds of thousands of civilians in El Fasher and its surroundings have been under a suffocating siege for over a year.” The blockade has cut off trade routes, severed supply lines, and barred humanitarian aid from entering. Community Kitchens have shut down due to food shortages, while prices for basic goods have soared.
The situation has become particularly dire since August 2024, the donors said, when famine took hold in displacement camps. “Deaths have surpassed 60 people in the past week due to malnutrition,” the statement noted, adding that a cholera outbreak is spreading through the camps.
The signatories highlighted reports of grave abuses against civilians, including sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure. The cited evidence that more than 1,500 civilians were killed in April 2025 during an RSF attack on Zamzam displacement camp, alongside other deadly incidents, among them, a recent assault on Abu Shouk camp that left “at least 40 civilians dead.”
The statement further underscored that the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) believes there are “reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Darfur.”
Donors called on the RSF to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024) by lifting the siege of El Fasher,agreeing to a humanitarian pause to allow aid delivery, and enabling safe passage for civilians who wish to leave conflict zones. The also urged the SAF to renew its commitment to the ceasefire, to keep the “Adre” border crossing permanently open, and to remove administrative barriers that hinder humanitarian operations.
The statement stressed the need for “immediate access for UN convoys and international staff into Sudan, particularly into Darfur and Kordofan,” so that relief efforts can be scaled up.
The signatories expressed solidarity with the Sudanese people and the humanitarian agencies working under “extremely challenging conditions,” stressing that “Protecting civilians, ensuring humanitarian access, and holding perpetrators of abuses accountable cannot be delayed.”
The joint appeal was signed by representatives of the European Union, as well as foreign ministers from countries including Spain, Norway, the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and numerous others.
