UN calls for urgent action to stop human trafficking in Fasher, Sudan

The United Nations has called for “urgent action” to tackle human trafficking in the city of Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, now under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

This appeal came in a statement by UN special rapporteurs on the situation in Sudan. 

The statement said that following the RSF’s takeover of Fasher and its surrounding areas, worrying reports of human trafficking have emerged, prompting an urgent call for action.

The RSF captured Fasher on 26 October, after surrounding the city since May 2024. The city’s crisis worsened as security conditions deteriorated and tens of thousands fled, fearing serious violations reportedly committed by the forces.

The statement highlighted that the RSF’s siege of Fasher and nearby areas, which began in May 2024, has forced more than 470,000 people to flee repeatedly.

It also noted that over six million children – 27 per cent of them under the age of five – are either displaced within Sudan or seeking refuge and protection in neighbouring countries.

Reports of sexual violence have spread across many areas. The UN special rapporteurs stressed that women and girls in RSF-controlled regions face serious risks of sexual violence and exploitation.

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