U.N. human rights experts on Thursday expressed deep concern over the rising reports of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls, and the recruitment of children as fighters, amid escalating violence in and around Sudan’s El-Fasher.
Since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began their siege of El-Fasher and surrounding areas in May 2024, more than 470,000 people have been displaced multiple times, including residents of the Shagra, Zamzam, and Abu Shouk camps. Across Sudan, more than 6 million children – 27% under the age of five – are internally displaced or seeking safety in neighboring countries.
Sexual violence has been reported throughout conflict-affected regions, including El-Fasher, Bahri, Gezira, Khartoum, Kordofan, Kornoi, Nyala, Omdurman, and Zamzam.
“We are deeply concerned at the alarming reports of human trafficking since the takeover of El-Fasher and surrounding areas by the RSF,” the experts said. “Women and girls have been abducted in RSF-controlled areas, and women, unaccompanied and separated children are at elevated risk of sexual violence and sexual exploitation.”
A Sudanese refugee girl from Darfur carries her brother while walking at the Iridimi refugee camp, northwest of Iriba, Wadi Fira, Chad, Nov. 27, 2025. (Reuters Photo)
Documented incidents in June 2025 include the rape of girls aged 15 to 17 near an RSF checkpoint between Shagra and Tawilah, and the gang rape of 25 women at gunpoint at a shelter for displaced people near El-Fasher University.
Forced nudity has also been reported at checkpoints.
“Internally displaced women and girls are among those trafficked for sexual slavery and other forms of sexual exploitation. Recruitment and use of children by armed groups is also on the rise,” the experts said.
The U.N. highlighted ethnic targeting of non-Arab communities in North Darfur, including the Zaghawa and Fur, noting widespread reports of arbitrary detention, forced marriage, and sexual slavery.
Families face a lack of shelter, healthcare, and basic safety as aid blockages and collapsing services push communities “to the brink,” the experts said.
“All parties to the conflict must respect human rights and prevent further atrocities against civilians, including the trafficking of women and children,” the statement added.
The Human Rights Council convened a special session on Nov. 14, and U.N. experts urged member states to take urgent, coordinated action to implement resolutions on Sudan.
Children displaced and traumatized
Hundreds of children continue to arrive at refugee camps alone, separated from their families amid the latest wave of displacement in El-Fasher.
More than 100,000 people fled western Darfur beginning in late October after the RSF recaptured El-Fasher from the Sudanese army.
Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 22, UNICEF recorded 354 children arriving at a refugee camp in Tawila, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of El-Fasher, without immediate family members.
Many parents disappeared, were detained, or killed along the way.
Eighty-four children have since been reunited with relatives, mostly in Tawila.
At least 400 unaccompanied children have reached the camp, sometimes aided by neighbors, extended relatives, or strangers, according to Mathilde Vu, advocacy manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Many arrive malnourished, dehydrated, and showing psychological distress, including muteness, nightmares, or aggressive behavior.
“The extreme violence that many of these children witnessed is astounding. Seeing their mothers disappear, and in some cases family members shot – it’s beyond anything I’ve heard,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan.
Aid groups have provided psychological support, but some children still sleep on the ground and receive barely one meal per day. “People are hungry, thirsty, need education, medical care, and psychosocial support. We need to act now, not wait for peace to return,” Vu said.
Conflict background
The RSF, largely composed of fighters from the Arab Janjaweed militia, was accused of carrying out a government-backed genocidal campaign in Darfur during the 2000s, in which around 300,000 people were killed.
Earlier this month, the RSF agreed to a U.S.-led humanitarian truce, but Sudan’s military demanded a full withdrawal from civilian areas and disarmament.
The war between the RSF and the Sudanese army began in 2023, after tensions erupted between the two former allies who had been overseeing a democratic transition following the 2019 uprising. Fighting has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, though aid groups warn the toll could be much higher.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously said he plans to push for an end to Sudan’s war after being urged by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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