UK Pledges £5m Emergency Aid to Sudan After ‘Horrifying’ Atrocities in El-Fasher

The United Kingdom has announced an additional £5 million in emergency aid for Sudan, following what it described as “truly horrifying” reports of atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their capture of El-Fasher, the last army-controlled city in Darfur.

The RSF, which has been locked in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s army since April 2023, seized El-Fasher last Sunday after an 18-month siege marked by relentless bombardments and widespread starvation.

Speaking at a regional security conference in Bahrain on Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the violence and called for immediate action to protect civilians.

“For too long, this terrible conflict has been neglected, while suffering has simply increased,” Cooper said.

She described reports from Darfur as “truly horrifying,” citing accounts of mass executions, starvation, and sexual violence being used as a weapon of war.

The new funding brings the UK’s total humanitarian contribution to Sudan to over £125 million within a year. Of the latest allocation, £2 million will specifically support survivors of sexual violence in El-Fasher.

A statement from the UK Foreign Office said British diplomats continue to press all parties to cease hostilities, protect civilians, and allow unrestricted humanitarian access across Sudan.

The conflict has plunged Sudan into what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and entire regions facing famine conditions.