Table of contents

Approximate read time: 15 minutes

The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the following question for short debate on 27 November 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds to ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

The Bishop of Leeds intends to retire from the House on 30 November 2025.[1]

1. Background to Sudan and the country’s current civil war

Sudan is a country of approximately 50 million people located in north-east Africa.[2] Connecting sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East and North Africa to the Horn of Africa, the country is the third largest on the continent by land area after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, is located at the junction of the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers in the centre of the country.

Figure 1. Maps of Sudan

Maps of Sudan
(CIA, ‘World factbook: Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025)

Sudan has been beset by conflict since gaining independence from the UK and Egypt in 1956.[3] A second civil war between 1983 and 2005 between the country’s northern and southern regions, following an earlier conflict between 1955 and 1972, resulted ultimately in the secession of South Sudan in 2011. In addition, long-standing tensions between Arab and non-Arab communities led to war in Sudan’s western Darfur region from 2003 onwards.[4] The Janjaweed militia, a Sudanese government-backed Arab-majority armed group, is among parties to the Darfur war alleged to have committed genocide, war crimes and/or crimes against humanity in the early phases of the conflict.[5]

In April 2019 the Sudanese military deposed Omar al-Bashir, who had led Sudan since seizing power in 1989, following months of widespread anti-government demonstrations.[6] A transitional government and subsequent coup were led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese armed forces (SAF), and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group with origins in the Janjaweed militia.[7] However, a subsequent power struggle between General al-Burhan and Hemedti led to the outbreak of Sudan’s current civil war between the SAF and RSF in April 2023.

In late October 2025, two and a half years into the conflict, the RSF captured the city of El Fasher in the Darfur region following an 18-month siege, leaving the group in control of most of western Sudan.[8] Amid ongoing reports of widespread atrocities in El Fasher, including mass killings of civilians, and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolding in the city and surrounding region, fighting has since escalated in the Kordofan region located between RSF-held areas in the west of the country and SAF-held territory in the east.[9] Estimates suggest the civil war may have killed 150,000 people or more to date.[10]

2. Current humanitarian situation

The UN has described the current civil war in Sudan as a “crisis of staggering proportions, with civilians paying the highest price”.[11] Prior to recent developments it noted:

  • over 30 million people, almost two thirds of Sudan’s population, are in need of humanitarian assistance
  • almost 25 million people, or half of Sudan’s population, are facing acute hunger, with 637,000 of these classified as on the brink of famine
  • almost 13 million people, almost a third of Sudan’s population, have been displaced by conflict, with almost 9 million displaced internally and 4 million seeking safety in other countries

UN agencies have described the conflict as being responsible for the “world’s largest humanitarian crisis” and the “world’s largest displacement crisis”.[12] Meanwhile the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said the outlook for Sudan “remains bleak”, with an “alarming rise in severe and extreme needs”.[13] It added:

The crisis is exacerbated by continued conflict, economic collapse, accelerating inflation and the impacts of climate change, all of which are driving widespread displacement, inter-communal violence and deteriorating access to basic services. Urgent and sustained humanitarian intervention will be essential to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in Sudan.

Recent developments in El Fasher and Kordofan have led to the displacement of a further 140,000 people, with the UN Refugee Agency warning that a “protection catastrophe in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions is intensifying at an alarming pace”.[14] In addition, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned in mid-November 2025:

[…] humanitarian operations are now on the brink of collapse. Warehouses are nearly empty, aid convoys face significant insecurity, and access restrictions continue to prevent the delivery of sufficient aid. IOM is urgently appealing for increased funding and immediate, sustained and safe humanitarian access to avert an even greater catastrophe.[15]

Multiple other sources, including UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, have also drawn attention to the “catastrophic levels of human suffering” in western Sudan in recent weeks, including mass atrocities, unlawful killings, sexual violence and extreme malnutrition.[16]

In September 2025 a UN fact-finding mission reported to the UN Human Rights Council that both the SAF and RSF were “deliberately targeting” Sudan’s civilian population and were “committing atrocities including war crimes on a large scale”.[17] It also found:

[…] the RSF, during the siege of El Fasher and surrounding areas, committed myriad crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement and persecution on ethnic, gender and political grounds. The RSF and its allies used starvation as a method of warfare and deprived civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, medicine and relief supplies—which may amount to the crime against humanity of extermination.

In early November 2025 the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed its “profound alarm and deepest concern over recent reports emerging from El Fasher about mass killings, rapes, and other crimes allegedly committed during the course of the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) attacks”.[18] It added:

These atrocities are part of a broader pattern of violence that has afflicted the entire Darfur region since April 2023. Such acts, if substantiated, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.

In early July 2025 the office had found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity were being committed in Darfur.[19]

3. UK government policy

In April 2025 the UK government co-hosted a conference on Sudan with the African Union, the EU, France and Germany, in London. In response to a question on the conference in the House of Commons, Hamish Falconer, a parliamentary under secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), commented on the event:

Discussions focused on ensuring humanitarian access, protecting civilians and supporting a Sudanese-led peace process that preserves Sudan’s territorial integrity […]

Although this was not a pledging conference, international partners did announce over £800mn of support to address the humanitarian situation. This includes a further £120mn in UK aid for this year, which will reach over 650,000 people with food, nutrition support and emergency assistance, including for survivors of sexual violence […]

The UK will continue to lead international efforts to end the conflict in Sudan. Our immediate goals are clear: to bring an end to this destructive war, to protect civilians and to get aid to where it is needed most. Our vision for Sudan is to work with the Sudanese people and international partners to deliver the democratic and peaceful future that they deserve.[20]

In July 2025 Catherine West, then a parliamentary under secretary at the FCDO, said the UK government condemned the “growing body of evidence of serious atrocities being committed against civilians in Sudan”.[21] She highlighted the ICC’s finding there were reasonable grounds to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity were being committed in Darfur, and said the finding marked “an important milestone” in the ICC’s investigation into crimes committed in the region.[22] She added the UK was “steadfast in its commitment to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected and breaches are called out and investigated”.

In September 2025 the UK co-chaired a ministerial meeting on Sudan with the African Union, the EU and ministers from France and Germany, following the earlier London conference.[23] A joint statement signed by the co-chairs and other countries and international organisations urged the warring parties to resume direct negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and implement a humanitarian pause in El Fasher. It also “strongly condemn[ed] the violations of international humanitarian rights law and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the warring parties” and called on them to respect their obligations. The signatories also reiterated their support for the work of the UN fact-finding mission for Sudan and for the ICC to “hold all perpetrators of international crimes and atrocities accountable”.

As penholder for Sudan at the UN security council, on 30 October 2025 the UK called an urgent meeting to discuss the humanitarian situation in El Fasher.[24] The council subsequently issued a statement expressing “grave concern over escalating violence” in and around the city.[25]

On 1 November 2025 the government announced a further £5mn in emergency humanitarian support in response to developments in Darfur, £2mn of which would be “specifically allocated to bolster responses which focus on supporting the survivors of rape and sexual violence”.[26]

On 12 November the UK agreed to the following joint statement by G7 foreign ministers on Sudan:

We strongly condemned the recent escalation of violence and attacks that are often ethnically motivated, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against unarmed civilians and aid workers, particularly in El Fasher and North Kordofan. We deplore the devastating impact of this war on civilians including the famine that has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. We unequivocally condemn sexual violence. We urged the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese armed forces to respect human rights, de-escalate, commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and ensure rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance. We expressed our support for diplomatic efforts underway to restore peace and security and called upon external actors to contribute to that end.[27]

At a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on 14 November 2025, Baroness Chapman said, “ongoing impunity, and reticence from the international community means the conflict in Sudan is now the largest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century”.[28] She observed both the SAF and RSF “continue to obstruct assistance from reaching the over 30 million people who are in need” and called for a “renewed push for peace”. Baroness Chapman also noted the UK had committed £125mn in humanitarian support for Sudan this year.

In a report published the previous month, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact concluded the government had “demonstrated strong leadership on the crisis”, although there were “opportunities to improve the delivery of aid and coordinate the response more effectively across government”.[29]

4. Read more

4.1 Library briefings

4.2 Recent parliamentary statements, questions and debates

4.3 Other material

This briefing was updated on 25 November 2025 to add references to statements on Sudan delivered in both Houses and Chatham House content published since the original publication date (17 November 2025).

Image by Maksim Shutov on Unsplash.

References

  1. UK Parliament, ‘House of Lords Business: Retirement’, accessed 17 November 2025. Return to text
  2. Europa World (£), ‘Country profile: Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025. See also: Britannica, ‘Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025; BBC News, ‘Sudan country profile’, 13 September 2023; UN Population Division Data Portal, ‘World population prospects 2024: Sudan—total population by sex’, accessed 14 November 2025; and World Health Organization, ‘Sudan: Health data overview for the Republic of the Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025. Return to text
  3. Council on Foreign Relations, ‘Civil war in Sudan’, updated 6 November 2025; and Britannica, ‘Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025. Return to text
  4. As above. See also: Al Jazeera, ‘Darfur: Between two wars’, 30 June 2023. Return to text
  5. International Criminal Court, ‘Darfur, Sudan’, accessed 14 November 2025; UN News, ‘Darfur: ICC convicts Janjaweed leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity’, 6 October 2025; BBC News, ‘Sudan militia leader convicted of war crimes during Darfur war’, 6 October 2025; and Britannica, ‘Janjaweed’, accessed 14 November 2025. Return to text
  6. Council on Foreign Relations, ‘Civil war in Sudan’, updated 6 November 2025. Return to text
  7. As above. See also: Al Jazeera, ‘Who is ‘Hemedti’, general behind Sudan’s feared RSF force?’, 16 April 2023; Peter Beaumont, ‘Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo: The feared ex-warlord taking on Sudan’s army’, Guardian, 17 April 2023; and BBC News, ‘He made his money selling camels and gold. Now this warlord controls half of Sudan’, 4 November 2025. Return to text
  8. BBC News, ‘More than 60,000 flee Sudanese city after its capture by RSF militia, UN’, 31 October 2025; UN News, ‘‘Blood on the sand. Blood on the hands’: UN decries world’s failure as Sudan’s El Fasher falls’, 30 October 2025; and International Crisis Group, ‘Tracking conflict worldwide: Sudan—October 2025’, accessed 14 November 2025. Return to text
  9. BBC News, ‘Sudan RSF chief promises investigation as anger mounts over El Fasher killings’, 30 October 2025; BBC News, ‘Drone strike hits funeral in Sudan, killing many mourners’, 4 November 2025; BBC Verify, ‘‘Our job is only killing’: How Sudan’s brutal militia carried out a massacre’, 7 November 2025; Reuters, ‘Paramilitary force pushes east in new escalation of Sudan's war’, 14 November 2025 and BBC News, ‘Mass killings probe in Sudan will hold culprits to account, vows UN’, 14 November 2025. Return to text
  10. Economist (£), ‘Hemedti: Warlord, power-broker and the new sultan of Darfur’, 7 November 2025. Return to text
  11. UN News, ‘In Focus: Sudan conflict’, accessed 14 November 2025. See the ‘Infographic’ tab for recent estimates. Return to text
  12. UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Sudan crisis deepens amid rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and grim humanitarian situation: UN report’, 19 September 2025; and International Organization for Migration, ‘Two years of conflict in Sudan: Visualizing the world’s largest displacement crisis’, 15 April 2025. Return to text
  13. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ‘Sudan: Projected situation’, accessed 14 November 2025. Return to text
  14. UN News, ‘Sudan: Migration chief hears horrific accounts of exodus from El Fasher’, 12 November 2025; and UN Refugee Agency, ‘UNHCR: Displaced civilians fleeing Sudan’s Darfur, Kordofan regions navigate serious violations, deadly routes’, 14 November 2025. Return to text
  15. International Organization for Migration, ‘IOM chief warns of imminent catastrophe as displacement surges in North Darfur’, 11 November 2025. Return to text
  16. See, for example: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ‘Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher: Briefing to the security council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan’, 30 October 2025; UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Sudan: UN experts appalled by reports of mass atrocities, unlawful killings and sexual violence in El Fasher’, 7 November 2025; and Doctors Without Borders, ‘People facing extreme malnutrition in Sudan’s protracted crisis’, 12 November 2025. Return to text
  17. UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘“A war of atrocities”: Sudan civilians deliberately targeted, UN fact-finding mission reports international crimes on large-scale’, 5 September 2025. Return to text
  18. International Criminal Court, ‘Statement of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur’, 3 November 2025. Return to text
  19. International Criminal Court, ‘Statement of Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan to the UN security council on the situation in Darfur, pursuant to resolution 1593 (2005)’, 11 July 2025. Return to text
  20. HC Hansard, 24 April 2025, col 1218. See also: HL Hansard, 8 April 2025, cols 987–91; and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘London Sudan Conference: Co-chairs’ statement’, 15 April 2025. Return to text
  21. HC Hansard, 16 July 2025, cols 307–8. Return to text
  22. HC Hansard, 16 July 2025, col 300. Return to text
  23. Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘Co-chairs’ statement following the ministerial meeting on coordinating efforts for de-escalation in Sudan’, 25 September 2025. Return to text
  24. HL Hansard, 30 October 2025, col 1497. Return to text
  25. UN Security Council, ‘Security council press statement on Sudan’, 30 October 2025. See also: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘The world will hold the RSF leadership accountable for the crimes committed by their forces: UK statement at the UN security council’, 30 October 2025. Return to text
  26. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘UK pledges £5mn for emergency aid and support for survivors of sexual violence in El Fasher’, 1 November 2025. Return to text
  27. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘Joint statement of G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in the Niagara region’, 12 November 2025. Return to text
  28. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, ‘UK national statement for the special session on Sudan’, 14 November 2025. See also, from the same source: ‘UK introductory statement for the UN HRC special session on Sudan’; and ‘UN Human Rights Council special session on Sudan’s El Fasher: Core group statement’, both 14 November 2025. Return to text
  29. Independent Commission for Aid Impact, ‘UK doubles Sudan crisis funding to £231mn but aid watchdog finds impact could be strengthened’, 15 October 2025; and ‘UK aid to Sudan’, 15 October 2025. Return to text