UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Human Rights Catastrophe’ As Sudan’s Al-Obeid Faces Growing Threat Of Violence

The United Nations has issued one of its strongest warnings yet over Sudan’s worsening civil war, describing the humanitarian situation in the city of Al-Obeid as a “human rights catastrophe” amid fears that violence could escalate even further. The warning comes as reports indicate a significant build-up of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) around the strategic city, raising concerns that another large-scale assault on civilians could be imminent.

Speaking during an urgent session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Al-Obeid has endured nearly 18 months of siege-like conditions, leaving residents trapped with dwindling supplies of food, clean water and medicine. According to the UN, the city has also been subjected to repeated drone attacks in recent weeks. Between June 6 and June 28, the UN documented at least 15 drone strikes, which killed 45 civilians and injured 41 others, further worsening an already desperate humanitarian situation.

Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, occupies a strategically important position linking central Sudan with the conflict-ravaged Darfur region. Control of the city would provide a significant military and logistical advantage, making it a key objective in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces. Human rights officials fear that if fighting intensifies, hundreds of thousands of civilians—including many people already displaced by earlier battles elsewhere in Sudan—could once again be caught in the crossfire.

Sudan’s civil war began on April 15, 2023, following a power struggle between army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. What initially started as a political dispute quickly escalated into a nationwide conflict that has devastated much of the country. Since then, both sides have been accused by the United Nations and international human rights organisations of carrying out indiscriminate attacks on civilians, while the RSF has faced repeated allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnically motivated violence, particularly in Darfur.

The conflict has evolved into what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 13 million people have been displaced from their homes, while over 30 million require humanitarian assistance. Entire communities have been cut off from essential services, with severe shortages of food, healthcare and clean water pushing many regions toward famine-like conditions. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that continued fighting is making it increasingly difficult to deliver life-saving assistance.

The latest warning over Al-Obeid follows growing international concern that the city could suffer the same fate as other Sudanese communities devastated by the conflict. Human rights organisations have cited previous attacks in cities such as El Fasher and El Geneina, where thousands of civilians were reportedly killed and widespread abuses documented. With RSF forces reportedly massing around Al-Obeid, UN officials are urging all parties to halt hostilities immediately and comply with international humanitarian law to prevent further civilian suffering.