A report published on Feb. 13 by the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) describes “shocking” violations committed during the final offensive that enabled the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to seize El Fasher in late October 2025. The U.N. said the acts amount to war crimes and could constitute crimes against humanity.
Based on more than 140 interviews with victims and witnesses, the report said more than 6,000 people were killed between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27, 2025, including at least 4,400 inside El Fasher and at least 1,600 as they tried to flee along exit routes, adding that the true toll was likely significantly higher.
The U.N. documented summary executions and targeted mass killings, including at El Fasher University, as well as attacks on civilians gathered along escape routes. The World Health Organization (WHO) separately reported the killing of more than 460 patients and companions on Oct. 28, 2025 at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher.
The report also describes sexual violence, including rape and gang rape used as a weapon of war. It cites credible reporting of the gang rape of at least 25 women in a shelter near the university and says women and girls from non-Arab communities were particularly targeted.
The U.N. said civilian infrastructure was repurposed for detention. According to the report, El Fasher Children’s Hospital was converted into a detention facility and more than 2,000 men were held there without adequate access to water and food, with deaths linked to disease and malnutrition.
On the humanitarian front, OHCHR described a prolonged siege and restrictions that contributed to famine conditions. Reference assessments classify famine at IPC Phase 5 — the highest level — for El Fasher and the Zamzam camp.
U.N. rights chief Volker Turk warned on Feb. 9 that the “scenario” seen in El Fasher could be repeated in Kordofan, where the town of Kadugli has been at the centre of fighting and shortages. In Greater Kordofan, the U.N. said more than 90 civilians were killed in drone strikes between late January and Feb. 6, attributing the attacks to the warring parties.
The report calls for accountability measures and unimpeded humanitarian access as Sudan’s conflict spreads and the humanitarian crisis worsens, the U.N. said
