UN / SUDAN HUMANITARIAN

Following reports of intensified fighting in El-Fasher, in the Darfur region of Sudan, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Denise Brown, called on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias “to allow safe passage” for civilians to leave the city. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:02:34
• Production Date: 27 October 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: DENISE BROWN
• Corporate Name: OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - OCHA
• Subject Topical: WAR VICTIMS; WAR; DISPLACED PERSONS; CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS; HUNGER; INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW; HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; CHOLERA
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN; DARFUR
• MAMS Id: 3481736
• Parent Id: 3481736
• Alternate Title: unifeed251027b

Description

STORY: UN / SUDAN HUMANITARIAN
TRT: 02:34
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters

27 OCTOBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, dais, Denise Brown on screen
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, United Nations:
“Yesterday, few hundred people arrived in trucks just outside of Tawilah. We don't have any information that suggests that they came directly from El-Fasher. Rather, they were already on the road and their movement, the last movement, was facilitated. What we do know is that civilians escaping, fleeing El-Fasher are often held for ransom along the road, part of the road being controlled by militia.”
4. Wide shot, dais, Brown on screen
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, United Nations:
“There are civilians in El-Fasher. It is a fact. And once again, and we've said it dozens of times, the UN calls on the RSF to allow safe passage for them to leave, particularly as the fighting has intensified over the past 24 hours. These individuals are increased risk of being injured or killed.”
6. Wide shot, dais, Brown on screen
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, United Nations:
“The RSF needs to demonstrate respect for international humanitarian law and let those people leave. Alternatively, they need to let us in, and we have asked for that multiple times. The UN is in dialog with all actors in this war, but they have not guaranteed our safe passage. And as I said the last time, more than 120 aid workers killed since the war began in April 2023.”
8. Wide shot, dais, Brown on screen
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, United Nations:
“The blockade of humanitarian assistance and food aid in particular is tantamount to using starvation as a weapon of war. So, it's an ugly situation to begin with. And people are getting on a very dangerous road because we have not been given guarantees of safe passage.”
10. Wide shot, dais, Brown on screen
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, United Nations:
“It's the people of the Sudan who are suffering the consequences of this war. Those consequences are widespread. They're affecting not only individuals, but families and communities. And a peaceful solution needs to be found. I'm not saying who needs to find it. I'm saying that we need a peaceful solution because humanitarian response is not a solution to the war.”
12. Wide shot, dais, Brown on screen

Storyline

Following reports of intensified fighting in El-Fasher, in the Darfur region of Sudan, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Denise Brown, today (27 Oct) called on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias “to allow safe passage” for civilians to leave the city.

Brown reported that yesterday, “a few hundred people arrived in trucks just outside of Tawilah” and noted that “civilians escaping, fleeing El-Fasher are often held for ransom along the road, part of the road being controlled by militia.”
She stressed that “there are civilians in El-Fasher. It is a fact,” and said, “these individuals are increased risk of being injured or killed.
Brown said, “the RSF needs to demonstrate respect for international humanitarian law and let those people leave. Alternatively, they need to let us in, and we have asked for that multiple times,” and noted that “more than 120 aid workers” have been killed since the war began in April 2023.
She said, “the blockade of humanitarian assistance and food aid in particular is tantamount to using starvation as a weapon of war,” and “people are getting on a very dangerous road because we have not been given guarantees of safe passage.”
Brown said, “it's the people of the Sudan who are suffering the consequences of this war. Those consequences are widespread. They're affecting not only individuals, but families and communities. And a peaceful solution needs to be found,” adding that a humanitarian response alone “is not a solution to the war.”