New York, February 20 (Darfur24)
A senior United Nations official has warned that Sudan’s protracted conflict is approaching a dangerous turning point, with escalating violence, worsening humanitarian conditions, and cross-border tensions raising fears that the war could expand beyond the country’s borders.
Briefing the United Nations Security Council, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said nearly 1,000 days of fighting have “almost destroyed” Sudan, warning that continued escalation risks transforming the conflict into a regional crisis.
DiCarlo told council members that hostilities have intensified across multiple fronts, including North Darfur, North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, with North Kordofan emerging as a particularly volatile battleground.
She cautioned that any major ground offensive in El Obeid could have severe humanitarian and political consequences, potentially undermining already fragile prospects for a ceasefire.
The UN official also highlighted the growing use of drones and airstrikes by both sides, describing long-range attacks as an increasingly defining feature of the conflict and pointing to recent incidents in El Fasher as evidence of the trend.
DiCarlo further expressed concern over reports of armed group movements along the Sudan–South Sudan border, describing the development as a key indicator of possible regional spillover.
She welcomed diplomatic efforts led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States aimed at securing a humanitarian truce, urging both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to engage constructively and without preconditions.
According to DiCarlo, any cessation of hostilities must be anchored in a credible political process capable of delivering a comprehensive transition, while measures to halt the flow of weapons into the conflict remain essential.
During the same session, Hala El-Karb, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, said the conflict has surpassed “all red lines,” citing siege, forced displacement, famine and widespread sexual violence.
She warned that violations against women and girls have become systematic across multiple areas, with reports indicating the detention of hundreds of women during the conflict.
Meanwhile, Edem Wosornu, the Director of Crisis Response at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, described a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian landscape, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.
Wosornu reported that more than 12 million women and girls are facing what she termed a “crisis within a crisis,” as demand for gender-based violence services has surged dramatically since the war began. She added that 4.2 million children and pregnant or breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition.
She noted that humanitarian personnel continue to operate despite mounting insecurity, with several aid workers reportedly killed or injured in recent days while delivering assistance.
UN officials concluded by calling on the Security Council to intensify pressure on the conflict parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and aid workers, halt arms flows and advance efforts toward an immediate ceasefire and a sustainable political settlement.