August 26, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke by phone with Sudan’s interim prime minister on Tuesday to discuss the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in El Fasher, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped due to the ongoing siege by the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the UN. The conversation with Prime Minister Kamil El-Tayeb Idris focused in particular on the crisis caused by the “sustained encirclement and bombardment,” which have cut off North Darfur’s capital from vital humanitarian aid, medicine, and supplies. The Sudanese government reports that 845,000 civilians remain in the city. The RSF blockade has led to severe shortages, forcing residents to eat “ambaz,” a byproduct of peanuts and sesame normally used as animal feed, to survive. The United Nations’ call for humanitarian access comes amid reports of horrific human rights violations by the RSF in the region, including killings, looting, and the abduction of women and children from refugee camps. Aid organizations say the crisis in El Fasher is part of a larger disaster: 79% of the population across the Darfur region needs assistance and protection.