The UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, met Wednesday with the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Port Sudan.
In a press release announcing the meeting, the UN urged parties to the Sudan conflict to seize the opportunity of Lamamra’s visit to commit to an inclusive way forward and to enhance the protection of civilians, including through possible proximity talks.
The press release said Lamamra was intensifying consultations with the parties and all stakeholders to explore ways to strengthen civilian protection and de-escalate the conflict.
Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur
On the humanitarian front, the UN said it remained gravely concerned about mass displacement, civilian casualties, and dire humanitarian needs in El Fasher, Tawila, and other parts of North Darfur state, where civilians have sought safety after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over Zamzam camp.
“Humanitarian partners on the ground report that hundreds of thousands of camp inhabitants fled to other locations. Some residents had been living in Zamzam since the Darfur conflict began in 2003. This is the camp where famine conditions were confirmed last August – so as you can imagine, the situation is very dire for these people,” the release said.
In recent days, artillery shelling in El Fasher – including the Abu Shouk camp and Daraja Aoula areas – has reportedly caused dozens more civilian casualties.
The massive influx of displaced people into host communities and towns, where needs are already high, is straining health services, water infrastructure, and local food systems across North Darfur.
The UN and its humanitarian partners are scaling up operations to meet growing needs. However, the scale of displacement, coupled with insecurity and logistical constraints, has impeded humanitarian access and severely stretched response capacity.
Despite challenges, aid agencies are coordinating an aid convoy to North Darfur in the coming days – carrying supplies for up to 40,000 people. The cross-border mission will travel from Chad via the Adre crossing, pass through Geneina in West Darfur, and then reach Tawila in North Darfur.
The press release stressed that the UN and humanitarian partners continue to call on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, ensure safe passage for civilians, and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.