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The chief spokesperson of the UN Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, warned that the conflict in Sudan is taking an even more dangerous turn for civilians.
“The conflict in Sudan is taking an even more dangerous turn for civilians after reports that dozens were brutally killed in ethnically targeted attacks in the southeastern state of Al Jazirah and amid reports of an imminent battle for the control of Khartoum,” she said, echoing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
“As the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces battle for control at all costs in the senseless war that has raged for close to two years now, direct and ethnically motivated attacks on civilians are becoming increasingly common,” she said, adding: The situation for civilians in Sudan is already desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes. We fear the situation is now taking a further, even more dangerous turn.”
She was speaking at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva today (17 Jan.)
“The situation for civilians in Sudan is already desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes. We fear the situation is now taking a further, even more dangerous turn,” said Shamdasani. “Retaliatory attacks – of shocking brutality – on entire communities based on real or perceived ethnic identity are on the rise, as is hate speech and incitement to violence. This must urgently be brought to an end.”
“We once again call on the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council and the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces to put an end to the fighting,” she said.
“We call on both parties to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The proliferation of militia recruitment and mobilization of fighters, largely along ethnic lines, risks unleashing a broader civil war and inter-communal violence,” said the spokesperson.
“The SAF and the RSF are responsible for the actions of groups and individuals fighting on their behalf, let us be clear about that,” she added.
Her remarks follow reports that dozens of civilians were brutally killed in ethnically targeted attacks in the southeastern state of Al Jazirah, including its capital Wad Madani, and amid reports of an imminent battle for control of Khartoum.
Separately, some 120 civilians were reportedly killed and more than 150 injured in drone attacks in the city of Omdurman on the 13 January. Serious concerns also persist for civilians in North Darfur, where ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF and its allied Arab militias against African ethnic groups, particularly the Zaghawa and the Fur, continue to exact a horrific toll.
1. Wide shot, briefers at the podium
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The conflict in Sudan is taking an even more dangerous turn for civilians after reports that dozens were brutally killed in ethnically targeted attacks in the southeastern state of Al Jazirah, and amid reports of an imminent battle for the control of Khartoum.”
3. Wide shot, briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“As the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces battle for control at all costs in the senseless war that has raged for close to two years now, direct and ethnically motivated attacks on civilians are becoming increasingly common.”
6. Wide shot, briefing room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The situation for civilians in Sudan is already desperate, and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes. We fear the situation is now taking a further, even more dangerous turn.”
8. Wide shot, briefing room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Retaliatory attacks – of shocking brutality – on entire communities based on real or perceived ethnic identity are on the rise, as is hate speech and incitement to violence. This must urgently be brought to an end.”
10. Wide shot, briefing room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We once again call on the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council and the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces to put an end to the fighting.”
12. Wide shot, briefing room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We call on both parties to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
14. Wide shot, briefing room
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The SAF and the RSF are responsible for the actions of groups and individuals fighting on their behalf, let us be clear about that.”
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New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
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In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
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Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
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