UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher delivered a briefing from the town of Adré in Chad after returning from a week-long field mission across Sudan’s Darfur region, which he described as “the world’s epicenter of human suffering.”
Fletcher said the visit aimed to assess the risks facing civilians, strengthen humanitarian access to the hardest-hit areas, and push for an international response that is “stronger and more deeply rooted in humanity.”
Darfur has witnessed an unprecedented surge in violence, particularly after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El-Fasher, amid horrific human rights abuses and summary executions targeting civilians.
Fletcher began his journey in Port Sudan before crossing through Adré into Geneina, then traveling to Golo, Tawila, and Nertiti in Darfur, where he met local leaders, humanitarian teams, and survivors of violence.
These areas have received the majority of those fleeing El-Fasher, with more than 100,000 civilians escaping within just a few days on perilous routes.
Fletcher stressed that testimonies and documentation from survivors confirm that El-Fasher “is now a crime scene,” noting that his visit forms part of an ongoing UN effort involving several senior humanitarian officials.
Beyond Darfur, he urged attention to the situation in the Kordofan states, emphasizing the need to investigate atrocities committed in El-Fasher while preventing similar crimes elsewhere.
Fletcher said what he heard and witnessed on the ground calls for a far more courageous international response, adding that his mission reflects broader efforts to intensify the UN’s presence near affected communities.
