Plan urges action on Sudan’s deepening humanitarian crisis
Our response to UN's El Fasher Report.
19 February 2026A report released by the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan on Thursday concluded that acts by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their late-October takeover of El Fasher, Darfur, showed the “hallmarks of genocide”.
It documents ethnically targeted killings, widespread sexual violence and enforced disappearances. The 18-month siege also inflicted starvation and deprivation on civilians, with investigators warning that the “risk of further genocidal acts remains serious and ongoing”.
In response, Plan International Sudan’s Country Director, Mohamed Kamal said:
“The UN report lays bare the horror in El Fasher. It details systematic atrocities amid a siege that starved civilians and denied them humanitarian assistance. The Mission documented coordinated and repeated identity-based attacks tied to ethnicity, gender, and perceived politics, resulting in mass killings, serious harm, widespread sexual violence against girls and women ranging from 7 to 70-years-old, torture, detention, and disappearances.
“Sudan is facing an utterly catastrophic humanitarian emergency. Fighting continues to grip much of the country, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, with sexual violence alarmingly widespread and 4.2 million people acutely malnourished, with children worst affected.”
“Despite very limited funding, Plan International continues to respond, providing lifesaving assistance in Darfur and the Kordofan regions. We have heard first hand from our teams in Darfur that women, girls and children have faced horrific sexual gender-based violence. The specific, and unique needs of girls and women must not be overlooked. Rape and other acts of sexual violence are being used as a weapon of war in Sudan. Alongside other interventions, we are addressing the growing need for survivor-centred support.”
“We call on all armed actors in the conflict to immediately end and prevent the grave violations against children and guarantee the protection of civilians and humanitarian actors providing lifesaving support to the most affected, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.”
“Sudan’s people face the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Without an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian truce, and major scale-up in assistance programs – backed by more funding and guaranteed access – conditions will continue to deteriorate. Donors and governments have a moral responsibility to act now.”
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