Paramilitary Forces in Sudan Kill Hundreds Amid Ongoing Conflict

A United Nations aid convoy was ambushed in western Sudan while delivering critical food supplies to famine-threatened El Fasher, resulting in “multiple casualties,” as reported on June 3, 2025. The convoy, which included trucks from the UN's food and children's agencies, was targeted approximately 45 miles from El Fasher in Al Koma, a region controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the UN refugee agency, over 4 million people have fled Sudan since the onset of the civil war, exacerbating regional instability. El Fasher, which is home to around 2 million residents, faces a severe scarcity of food and resources, as the RSF's siege has restricted aid access. A spokesperson from Unicef confirmed the attack while the convoy awaited clearance to proceed. The humanitarian crisis has deepened, with reports indicating that daily shelling and the blockade have led to widespread starvation. Activists have stated that community kitchens in El Fasher struggle to find staple foods, with supplies dwindling to a fraction of what is necessary for survival.

More than four million people have fled Sudan since the onset of conflict in 2023, marking a significant humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The ongoing war between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and created the largest hunger and displacement crisis worldwide. As of June 2025, UNHCR reported exactly 4,003,385 individuals displaced, with 1.5 million seeking refuge in Egypt, over 1.1 million in South Sudan, and more than 850,000 in Chad. The situation in Chad has become critical, with the influx of roughly 1.2 million Sudanese refugees now placing unsustainable pressure on its resources, according to UNHCR's Dossou Patrice Ahouansou. The humanitarian response is severely underfunded, with refugees facing dire conditions, including extreme weather and water shortages. UNHCR has emphasized the urgent need for international action to address the grave human rights abuses occurring in Sudan, warning that without increased funding, life-saving assistance may not reach those in need promptly.

In Sudan's Darfur region, the humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported a disturbing increase in sexual violence, with 659 survivors treated in South Darfur from January to March 2025 alone. Over two-thirds of these cases involved rape, prompting MSF to call for accountability from the warring parties involved in the violence. Claire San Filippo, MSF emergency coordinator, stated that women and girls are now unsafe even in their own homes or while carrying out daily tasks like gathering food and firewood. Reports emerged of coordinated attacks where fighters killed men before assaulting women, illustrating the level of brutality inflicted on civilians. Since April 2023, the conflict has escalated in Darfur, dominated by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias battling for control against Sudan's armed forces. The situation has worsened following the RSF's takeover of the Zamzam displacement camp, where numerous incidents of sexual violence and abductions have been reported. Hala al-Karib, from the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, emphasized the lack of international support for women facing such violence, stating, "This crisis is unfolding amid complete silence and utter neglect from international actors."