“A war of atrocities” in Sudan — UN Fact-Finding Mission reports widespread international crimes

The latest fact-finding report to the UN Human Rights Council shows both the army and Rapid Support Forces are deliberately targeting the Sudanese people.

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The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan says the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing large scale war crimes and other violent acts that may amount to crimes against humanity, including persecution and extermination. The 18 page report focuses on the impact on the civilian population and critical infrastructure and describes atrocities documented during the reporting period.

Report Summary

UN experts issued repeated meeting requests to the army and RSF as part of their work. Neither side responded. Neighboring countries including Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda issued visas for investigators to meet with Sudanese refugee communities there. The Fact-Finding Mission’s main findings are summarized:

Sudan Crisis Guide

Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in a few minutes.

Learn More

“As the conflict in Sudan intensifies, parties not only failed to protect civilians and critical infrastructure, but rendered civilians primary targets. The Mission documented widespread violence against individuals and communities, including killings, mass displacement, detention, enforced disappearance, and sexual violence. Civilian infrastructure suffered extensive damage, with medical centres, schools, markets, food production systems, electricity stations, and displacement camps under attack.

The Mission finds that both warring parties and allies targeted civilians. Civilians and individuals taking no active part in hostilities were killed and injured through shelling and attacks on displacement camps, checkpoints, roads, and convoys, as well as retaliatory assaults based on perceived allegiances. They also faced torture, arbitrary detention and sexual violence.” (4)

While we encourage our followers to read the report in full, we’ve pulled forward some key anecdotes below.

RSF Crimes

Since May 2024, the Zamzam displacement camp, south of El Fasher, was also regularly shelled by the Rapid Support Forces. The Rapid Support Forces associate certain communities, particularly the Zaghawa, with the joint forces allied to the Sudanese Armed Forces which are present in the area. One witness noted: "They burned everything. They claimed they only wanted to fight soldiers, but they punished the whole community. It felt like they wanted to remove us because of who we are."…From 11 to 13 April 2025, the Rapid Support Forces and allies launched a large-scale ground offensive on the camp. A large military convoy entered the camp, firing randomly, killing and injuring many. Members or perceived associates of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Joint Forces were summarily executed. Estimates of the number of persons killed range from 300 to 1500, with over 157 wounded, the majority women and children. By the time the Rapid Support Forces took control, parts of the camp were burned, and all facilities were destroyed. Over 400,000 inhabitants, about 81 per cent of the camp's population, were again displaced, with many fleeing towards Tawilah or back to El Fasher. (4)

Following the defection of Commander Abu Aqla Keikel and his Sudan Shield Forces from the Rapid Support Forces to the Sudanese Armed Forces on 20 October 2024, the Rapid Support Forces launched attacks in Keikel’s stronghold in East Gezira. Over 30 towns and villages including Tamboul, Rufaa, al Sireha and al-Hilaliya, were targeted. Witnesses reported extra-judicial killings, beatings, widespread looting and rape. The Rapid Support Forces entered Tamboul in vehicles and on motorbikes, shooting at residents with heavy machine guns, entering houses, beating and insulting residents for the perceived celebration of Keikel’s defection. By November 2024, the Rapid Support Forces reportedly killed hundreds including 80 in al Sireha alone. Over 130,000 people fled their homes. (5)

The Rapid Support Forces detained civilians in Darfur, Khartoum and other parts of Sudan under its control in military bases, police stations, prisons, and civilian infrastructure that were converted into detention facilities. Most detainees were arrested at their homes or checkpoints. They were held incommunicado without access to legal representation or communication with, or visits by their families. None were charged nor appeared before a court. Guards of the Rapid Support Forces subjected them to severe beatings with whips. One interviewee stated he was beaten, whipped, and drenched with cold water for several hours until he lost consciousness. The beating continued for three days. (7)

The Rapid Support Forces used sexual violence as a deliberate tactic to humiliate and subjugate women, girls, and entire communities. Such violence is rooted in racism, prejudice and extreme cruelty, and violence has become a defining feature of the conflict. It is enabled by widespread impunity…It took place in streets, public squares, homes, abandoned buildings, and forested areas. In some incidents, multiple perpetrators in Rapid Support Forces uniforms raped women and girls. In June 2025, one survivor fleeing from El Fasher was stopped at a checkpoint of the Rapid Support Forces between Shagra and Tawilah. She was taken to an abandoned building, along with several other women and girls aged 15 to 17, where they were all raped. Some raped women were visibly pregnant while others became pregnant as a result. (8)

Army Crimes

After the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies recaptured Gezira in January 2025, reprisals targeted particularly the Kanabi community, that it accused of siding with the Rapid Support Forces. From 9 to 12 January 2025, the Sudan Shield Forces attacked several Kanabi villages, including Tayba and Dar al-Salam al-Hideba. They arrived in armed vehicles, shooting and killing unarmed civilians, burning homes, and looting property and livestock. In Tayba alone, at least 26 individuals, including a child, were killed. Perpetrators used racial slurs against victims such as “abeed” (slaves) and “gharaba” (foreigners). In Dar al-Salam al-Hideba, at least 16 individuals were killed and many houses looted and burned. Some remain missing. Most residents were forced to flee and were prevented from returning to their village. (6)

During the retaking of Wad Madani, between 12 and 25 January 2025, videos verified by the Mission show individuals in army fatigues beating a civilian on crutches. Another man was beaten, thrown from a bridge and then shot. Other videos show individuals beaten while accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces. Some perpetrators appeared in Baraa bin Malik Brigade uniforms. One perpetrator can be heard saying "this is in revenge for all our martyrs". (6)

Arrests carried by the Sudanese Armed Forces were mainly based on suspicion of collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces. In areas retaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces or at army checkpoints, many who lived under control of the Rapid Support Forces were stopped, beaten and detained for alleged association with the Rapid Support Forces. Former detainees reported their incommunicado detention and the lack of due process and judicial oversight. Only one of them appeared before a judge, which led to his release following more than two months of detention…In Serkab prison in Karari, Omdurman, a victim was hit with a hammer upon arrival. He was interrogated about his connections with the Rapid Support Forces while being forced to sit naked on a metal chair, with weights attached to his genitals, while two masked men administered electric shocks. Another victim, arrested in El Fasher in April 2025, was beaten by six soldiers for denying collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces. He was later held in solitary confinement for 20 days before being released. (6-7)

The Mission received evidence that members of the Sudanese Armed Forces committed sexual violence in White Nile, Blue Nile, Khartoum and Northern State. Documented incidents include rape, sexual harassment, and sexualized torture of women and men, particularly during detention or while fleeing. (9)

Additional Information

The Mission has documented a consistent pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure and objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Hospitals, markets, water sources and electricity systems were damaged. These attacks have had a devastating impact on civilians, denying them access to healthcare, food, clean water and shelter. Food insecurity increased due to the inability of farmers to reach their fields, and because seeds were not distributed due to the conflict. (10)

The Mission finds that attacks on, or in the vicinity of medical infrastructure by both parties caused the near-total collapse of the healthcare system across Sudan. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations documented several hundred attacks on health care infrastructure since the beginning of the conflict. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reported that as of 30 June 2025, less than 25 per cent of the health facilities remained operational in the worst-affected areas. (12)

Humanitarian workers and facilities were targeted or caught in the crossfire. Between April 2023 and April 2025, more than 84 Sudanese humanitarian workers were reportedly killed. (13)

Disruptions to food supply chains and agricultural production, as well as delays and administrative challenges in delivering aid have resulted in widespread hunger and malnutrition, with some areas facing famine conditions. According to the WFP, Sudan is on the brink of becoming the world’s most severe hunger emergency in recent history. (14)

In January and July 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court reiterated it had reasonable grounds to believe that international crimes continue to be committed in Darfur. It announced that steps were being taken to request arrest warrants. (3)

How you can help

Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes. Not a fan of fitness? We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference. Donations are being matched for a limited time!

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto. Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• The latest fact-finding report to the UN Human Rights Council show both the army and Rapid Support Forces are deliberately targeting the Sudanese people. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/a-war-of-atrocities-in-sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-reports-widespread-international-crimes

• The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan says the army and Rapid Support Forces are committing large scale war crimes and other violent acts that may amount to crimes against humanity. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/a-war-of-atrocities-in-sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-reports-widespread-international-crimes

• Between April 2023 and April 2025, more than 84 Sudanese humanitarian workers were reportedly killed. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/a-war-of-atrocities-in-sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-reports-widespread-international-crimes

• According to the WFP, Sudan is on the brink of becoming the world’s most severe hunger emergency in recent history. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/a-war-of-atrocities-in-sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-reports-widespread-international-crimes

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/a-war-of-atrocities-in-sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-reports-widespread-international-crimes

Adré Children’s Feeding Program and Clinic Update - September 2025

Program Background

When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities. What began as a power struggle between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spiraled into a brutal, targeted campaign of violence. The largely Arab RSF launched a hate-driven assault on Darfur’s historic ethnic African communities, including the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit people groups.

Map by Operation Broken Silence

Parts of Darfur are now in famine. Refugees crossing the border into Adré, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and thousand-yard stares, tell stories of mass killings and starvation. Darfur has descended into ethnic cleansing, widespread rape, and total lawlessness under RSF occupation. Markets, farms, banks, and aid warehouses have been looted or destroyed.

In response, Operation Broken Silence is helping local heroes deliver emergency food and medical care to some of the most vulnerable refugee communities in eastern Chad. We’re supporting trusted Sudanese community leaders in two key areas:

• The Adré refugee camps

• The Tiné area

Below are important updates from the Children’s Feeding Center and Healthcare Clinic in Adré—both of which are refugee-led and privately funded by people like you.

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For You Healthcare Clinic

Against the backdrop of displacement, hunger, and disease, the small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week the dedicated medical and administrative teams work with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand.

Photos: Life at the Clinic in Adré

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of people needing the clinic’s services, particularly with a rise in malaria cases from the rainy season and new arrivals from several areas of Darfur. Here’s a snapshot of the malaria crisis in July, as well as other work from the clinic during the last week of August:

Malaria Response: There is currently an upsurge of malaria cases due to the rainy season that provides a perfect medium for mosquito breeding. Additional factors such as stagnant water, lack of proper shelter, lack of environmental health to treat the mosquito breeding sites, and a lack of insecticide mosquito treated nets also play a role.

During July 2025, the Clinic recorded a total of 1355 malaria cases. The laboratory performed an average of 30-35 malaria laboratory tests per day. Distribution of the cases according to clinical severity of infection shows:

• 50% of the cases are complicated cases with “cerebral malaria,“ with mortality rate of 50-60%.

• 60%-70% of the total cases are recorded among children under 5 years of age. Common cases are among pregnant & lactating mothers.

• The clinic recorded many cases with severe anemia due malaria and also renal failure.

Health authorities in Adré have designated the Clinic as a vaccination center for staff, patients, and their companions, effective September 2, 2025.

Chronic Diseases Clinic: Received 156 patients suffering from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases, with medications provided free of charge.

Women and Obstetrics Clinic: Received 20 women, focusing on pregnancy follow-ups and consultations, with some cases of bleeding recorded.

Emergency Department: Handled 40 emergency cases, most of which were related to malaria and vaginal bleeding.

Nursing and Minor Procedures Department: Provided care for 68 patients through dressings, injections, and quick therapeutic interventions.

Awareness and Guidance Department: The team continued to implement intensive awareness sessions on cholera and prevention methods, amid increasing risks due to the autumn season.

Training Department: No training workshops were held last week due to field conditions and weather.

For You Children’s Feeding Center

In the last week of August, the Children’s Feeding Center provided 1,250 meals for children, supporting efforts to combat malnutrition in the camps. Here are a few recent photos.

Photos: Life at the Feeding Center in Adré

Current conditions in the Adré camps

What began as a desperate escape from West Darfur is now a protracted humanitarian emergency in eastern Chad. Sudanese refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing and famine face hunger and disease after arriving at one of the 30+ informal border crossings, many having walked for days carrying only what they could, including mothers and children weakened by hunger and trauma. The scale of this crisis is staggering:

• The number of Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad has surged to over 875,000 people.

• 87% of those registered are women and children, of which 25% are adult women.

• Over 235,000 refugees are currently settled in the Adré area, more than five times the town’s original population.

• 14% have specific needs, including people with disabilities, chronic illness, or those who are unaccompanied.

• The Chadian government and United Nations estimate that by the end of 2025, the total number of refugees and returnees across Chad could eclipse one million people.

• Source: UNHCR CHAD | CORE Sudan Emergency Situation (August 31, 2025)

These heroes need your help

The needs in Adré are urgent and growing every week. Right now, it takes a minimum of $8,500 each month to keep the For You Child Feeding Center & Clinic running at minimal capacity. This covers everything from medical supplies and health awareness to hot meals for vulnerable children to basic medication for patients that couldn’t afford it otherwise.

These programs can expand with even more funding. Thousands are still waiting for care. Countless children go to bed hungry every night. You can help change that. In a place where hope is in short supply, your generosity means more than you can imagine.

• $8,500: fully fund the Feeding Center and Clinic for an entire month

• $4,000: support the children's feeding program for one month

• $1,000: provide one week of all basic medicines needed at the clinic

• $500: feed 500 hungry children for one week

• $250: help expand the children's feed program

• $100: deliver nutritional supplements that help fight malnutrition

• $50: deliver anti-malarial, typhus and other speciality medications

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Adré in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn

• When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities, sparking off a protracted humanitarian emergency for refugees in eastern Chad. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-september-2025

• Over 235,000 refugees are currently settled in the Adré area. Most are women and children. A small clinic and feeding center are saving lives, but they need your help to keep going. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-september-2025

• The small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week, the dedicated team works with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-september-2025

• What does hope look like in a refugee camp? It looks like a child receiving her only hot meal of the day. A mother being treated for malaria. A community standing together. Help us keep hope alive. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-september-2025

Sudan Crisis Guide - What You Need To Know

This guide breaks down what’s happening in Sudan and why it matters. We update it regularly so you can stay informed. The latest update was on September 1, 2025. Want updates delivered directly to you? Join our email list. You can also find specific ways to help at the bottom of this guide.

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The War In Sudan

Sudan is a beautiful country with a rich history in northeast Africa, just south of Egypt along the Red Sea. With over 50 million people and deep diversity, Sudan sits at the crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. It’s also the third-largest country on the continent.

On April 15, 2023, a brutal war broke out in Khartoum between:

• Sudan Armed Forces (SAF): The country’s official military, including the army, air force, and navy.

• Rapid Support Forces (RSF): A paramilitary group formed by a previous dictatorship.

Both sides failed to eliminate each other’s leadership and the violence quickly spiraled into a nationwide crisis. Police units, intelligence services, local militias, and some rebel groups from past conflicts have taken sides. The RSF is also recruiting foreign mercenaries from across the Sahel.

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Why Are Sudan’s Warring Factions Fighting?

The military and RSF were once allies. That began to change in October 2021, after they teamed up to overthrow a civilian-led reform government. Tensions rose rapidly between both sides after the coup. RSF commander Mohamed “Hemeti” Dagalo sees himself as Sudan’s next dictator, while SAF generals believe they are the rightful rulers.

It’s important to note that most of the Sudanese people want neither in charge. A majority want a democratic, civilian government. There are also deep ethnic divisions driving the violence:

• SAF: Led mostly by elite Nile Valley Arab officers, some of Sudan’s most privileged groups. While SAF is ethnically mixed at the ground level, Arab supremacy and racism persist. Army units have carried out ethnically targeted attacks on civilians.

• RSF: Dominated by Arab tribes from Darfur. Many commanders and fighters hold a violent, extremely racist ideology that promotes the ethnic cleansing of Darfur’s African communities and subjugation of all other Sudanese Arab.

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Map: Click or tap to expand. (source)

This map shows approximate areas of control in Sudan:

• Pink: Sudan Armed Forces and Joint Forces allies

• Green: Rapid Support Forces and militia allies

• Purple: SLM, a Darfuri rebel group from previous wars

• Yellow: SPLM-N, indigenous rebel group in the Nuba Mountains from previous wars

• Orange: RSF and SPLM-N have a fragile alliance with troops that overlap in some areas.

After capturing Khartoum in March 2025, SAF launched major offensives into central Sudan, expanding their control to El-Obied and pushing westward toward RSF strongholds in Darfur. The RSF has since ground the army’s advance to a halt and is regaining limited ground in North Kordofan around El-Obied. Meanwhile, a SAF garrison continues holding out in El Fasher in North Darfur despite a brutal RSF siege that has been underway since 2023.

SAF’s long supply lines and ongoing fuel shortages —caused in part by RSF drone strikes on critical infrastructure— has weakened the army’s ability to continue advancing westward. The RSF is now operating closer to their main bases with tighter supply lines. Neither side seems capable of securing an outright victory. As the war grinds on, it’s the Sudanese people —trapped between bombs, drone strikes, food blockades, and targeted brutality— who continue to suffer most.

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Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis: The World’s Largest Emergency

It’s barely in the news, but Sudan is now collapsing before the world’s eyes. Khartoum’s neighborhoods lie in ruins. In the oppressed western Darfur region, entire communities are being annihilated by the RSF. Villages are burning, crops are rotting in the fields, and families are fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Food, medicine, and safety are all vanishing.

This war is just as much a war on the Sudanese people as it is between rival generals. The RSF is targeting ethnic African minorities for extermination and SAF is blocking aid access to large swaths of the country. War crimes are being committed en masse by both sides. The human toll is staggering:

• No one knows the death toll, but 185,000+ people have likely been killed by violence, starvation, and disease outbreaks. This is a conservative estimate based on the very little data that is available and may be a severe undercount.

• A staggering 30 million Sudanese —over half of the entire country— are in need of humanitarian assistance. Over 8.7 million Sudanese have descended into emergency or famine conditions.

• Over 14 million people have fled their homes or have left Sudan as refugees.

• More than 65% of the country’s main hospitals are closed or destroyed, with the ones still functioning at risk of closure from shortages of medical staff, supplies, safe water, and electricity. Diseases outbreaks are spreading quickly and

• 90% of schools are closed, leaving 19 million children with no classroom to attend.

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Maps: The latest famine tracking and projections from The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. (source)

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What Are World Leaders Doing to End the War in Sudan?

World leaders have largely turned a blind eye as Sudan burns. A smattering of diplomatic efforts have failed to bring about a lasting ceasefire. International aid is only 25% funded for all of 2025, leaving millions of Sudanese facing hunger and disease. Even in refugee camps outside of Sudan, where aid is much easier to deliver, hunger is rampant due to the severe lack of attention.

The recent chaos the Trump Administration has inflicted on USAID —one of the largest providers of lifesaving food relief in Sudan— has resulted in the reported closure of over 60% of Sudanese-run emergency food kitchens, threatening to push more areas of the country into full-blown famine. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Russia are reportedly making things worse by supplying weapons, mercenaries, and resources to either SAF or RSF, further fueling the violence.

Despite these challenges, ordinary Sudanese are still finding ways to help each other. The international community can and should be doing far more to support Sudanese-led initiatives and prevent a total collapse into failed statehood.

How You Can Help The People of Sudan

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. In August 2025, our supporters gave $29,520 to Sudanese heroes, including teachers, aid workers, sexual assault counselors, and healthcare professionals. Here’s how you can join us.

1. Sign Up For Miles For Sudan

Our global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes.

Not a fan of fitness? No problem! We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference. And the best part? Donations to your fundraising page will be matched!

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2. Give Once or Monthly

Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift instead:

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Helps deliver basic medicines to the clinic in Adré

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• How is this not the biggest story in the world right now? Sudan is collapsing and almost no one is talking about it. Check out this 🔗 to learn what’s happening and how to help. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-guide

• The world’s largest humanitarian crisis is happening right now in Sudan. It’s not making headlines—but it should be. This helpful guide breaks it down. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-guide

• Sudan is facing the worst humanitarian emergency on the planet. Mass hunger. War crimes. Millions displaced. The world must pay attention. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-guide

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. We’ve been doing this for over a decade. You can help, too: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-guide

The veil of silence around Sudan’s nightmare war

Nearly two and a half years into the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, the veil of silence and invisibility around Sudan’s needless suffering is more entrenched than ever.

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Rachid had fled her neighborhood in Nyala, Darfur for another once already since the war in Sudan began in April 2023. With the genocidal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) —an Arab supremacist paramilitary group that has plagued the country for years— on the verge of taking over the country’s second largest city, she decided it was time to flee to the border with South Sudan.

“I don’t remember what day I ran,” Rachid says. “I thought to be a woman when the janjaweed (RSF) come will mean evil done upon me. My friend was raped by them. They do this to the black women. They hate us.”

It was mid-October 2023. Weeks of brutal combat between the RSF and national army had turned swaths of Nyala into a ghost town. Areas under RSF occupation were being looted and terrified citizens were being sexually assaulted, tortured, and executed by the notorious paramilitaries. Rachid said the army made no effort to protect citizens. “Running west to Chad was no good because the janjaweed were everywhere,” Rachid describes. “Running to South Sudan was a little safer. Less janjaweed.”

It took Rachid nine days to reach South Sudan. She somehow managed to avoid the RSF units swarming the region. By the end of October, the RSF had overrun all of Nyala and most of western Sudan.

Rachid’s story is shared by countless other Sudanese. There is still no end in sight for the war between Sudan’s ruthless national army and the barbaric Rapid Support Forces. The statistics are impossible to fathom. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —half the country— are in need of emergency food assistance. Over 15 million are displaced in Sudan’s borders or have fled the country altogether. No one knows the true death toll, but 185,000+ people have likely been killed by violence, starvation, and disease outbreaks, a conservative estimate based on the little data available. Even this is likely a severe undercount. As refugees pour into neighboring countries, they bring with them stories of mass graves, neighborhoods leveled and villages massacred, and soldiers and militias torturing and executing unarmed civilians viewed as “belonging to the other side.”

Behind all these hard-to-grasp numbers are people like Rachid. “As long as the janjaweed exists no one in Sudan is safe,” she says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.” This is neither the life Rachid signed up for nor the one she deserves. And the world seems not to have noticed.

Understanding the veil of silence

One would think the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe would feature regularly in the news; but, nearly two and a half years into this war, piercing the veil of silence around Sudan remains devilishly difficult, for a myriad of reasons.

Perhaps most obvious is the world being in a heightened sense of turmoil, ranging from more conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and beyond to faltering democracies around the globe. With so much chaos, few globally-minded citizens have noticed that the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan eclipses the crises in Gaza/Israel and Ukraine…combined. Donors are stretched increasingly thin in both time and resources as inflation once again rises in the United States, and many are frustrated that they can’t do more in this time of great need.

Sudan Crisis Guide

Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in a few minutes.

Learn More

The invisibility is also by choice though. Western journalists largely chose to turn away from Sudan after the U.S. military evacuated embassy staff from Khartoum at the outset of the war. The Trump Administration chose to deprioritize Sudan and to gut USAID —which has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis— further pushing Sudan off the radar. Meanwhile, inside the country, the army and RSF have chosen to destroy communication networks in parts of the country, making it hard for ordinary Sudanese to share their plight with the world.

More recently, the introduction of AI summaries into search engines makes it even more difficult for ordinary people to get basic facts about the plight of the Sudanese people and discover ways to help. While our own web traffic is still up year-over-year, new visitors have plunged nearly 50% throughout 2025, largely due to Google using the news and content we provide —without our permission— to generate AI summaries in their search engine. Countless organizations and companies are experiencing the same problem in their own work, with early research showing users are much less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in results. With regards to Sudan, the information in these AI blurbs is often outdated and sometimes false. This is having a negative impact on our efforts to recruit new supporters, with people reading these summaries instead of going to full articles we provide, where they can also get involved.

These barriers to attention means efforts to save lives remain acutely underfunded. The United Nation’s humanitarian response plan for 2025 —more than $3 billion needed to keep the situation from merely getting worse— is only 24% funded for the entire year. That does not include what local Sudanese groups and private international organizations like us require to meet the needs the UN wouldn’t get to even if they were fully funded. Too few resources means fewer international and connected Sudanese eyes and ears on the ground, which means fewer stories and critical information gets back out into the world. And the veil of silence thickens all over again.

How you can help

There are flickers of hope despite these frustrating realities. The Atlantic’s September cover story is about the war in Sudan. Written by veteran journalist Anne Applebaum and appropriately named The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth, it is one of the most powerful pieces of outside reporting we’ve seen in the past two and a half years and is already pushing new eyes to the crisis.

Our learning resources and simple news and analysis remain free to all, and we’ve made it easy to support Sudanese heroes directly from wherever you call home. Still, reality dictates there are three simple things you can do to stay informed and involved.

1. Join our free email list

We know it’s old school, but this is the best way to stay informed about current events in Sudan and ways to help. You can expect no more than 2-3 emails a month.

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2. Follow us on Instagram

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3. Sign up for Miles For Sudan, or give

Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes.

Not a fan of fitness? No problem! We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference and raises awareness. And the best part? Donations to all fundraising pages are currently being matched for a limited time!

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto. Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn

• Nearly two and a half years into the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, the veil of silence and invisibility around Sudan’s needless suffering is more entrenched than ever. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

• One would think the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe would feature regularly in the news; but, nearly two and a half years into this war, piercing the veil of silence around Sudan remains devilishly difficult, for a myriad of reasons. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

The 16th annual Eden’s Run 5K

On August 16, our supporters came together in Memphis, TN for our annual run and walk benefiting childhood education in Sudan. You ran through the heat and humidity and we made it to 82% of our $7,500 goal! A big thank you to all of our runners, volunteers, Memphis Runners Track Club, and Ouri Matcha for making race day possible. Discover photos from the event and timing results:

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Eden’s Run was made possible by our generous sponsors:

• Siskind Susser Immigration Lawyers

• The Clandestine Underground

• Pedometer++

• Monogram Foods

• Relay

• Karen Adams

• Hive Bagel and Deli

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What’ next? Join our virtual Miles For Sudan event!

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. For over a decade, we've allied people just like you with incredible Sudanese heroes who are bringing emergency aid, education, and healthcare to their people. And they need us now more than ever.

Miles For Sudan is our global event for runners, walkers, and cyclists who want to help Sudanese heroes save lives. All you have to do is sign up and then ask friends and family to give through your fundraising page after each workout. And the best part? You can participate from wherever you call home.

Not ready to participate in Miles For Sudan? Make a one-time donation or start a small monthly gift! Here are a few ways your generosity can help:

$200- provides a teacher's salary for one month.

$150- helps deliver new chalkboards and repair classrooms.

$100- provides pencils, notebooks, and other basic school supplies.

$50- gives the gift of sport by providing nets, balls, and more.

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and text to others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn

• On August 16, 2025 our supporters came together in Memphis, TN to celebrate sixteen years of Eden’s Run 5K, our annual run and walk helping to bring education to kids in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

• We ran through the heat and humidity and, with your help we made it to 79% of our $7,500 goal! A big thank you to all of our runners, volunteers, Memphis Runners Track Club, and Ouri Matcha for making race day possible. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

Adré Children’s Feeding Program and Clinic Update - July 2025

Program Background

When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities. What began as a power struggle between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spiraled into a brutal, targeted campaign of violence. The largely Arab RSF launched a hate-driven assault on Darfur’s historic ethnic African communities, including the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit people groups.

Map by Operation Broken Silence

Between April and June 2023, up to 15,000 Masalit civilians were systematically massacred in West Darfur. By early November, the RSF had seized most of Darfur, minus the Greater El Fasher area. What’s followed has been catastrophic.

Parts of Darfur are now in famine. Refugees crossing the border into Adré, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and thousand-yard stares, tell stories of mass killings and starvation. Darfur has descended into ethnic cleansing, widespread rape, and total lawlessness under RSF occupation. Markets, farms, banks, and aid warehouses have been looted or destroyed.

In response, Operation Broken Silence is helping local heroes deliver emergency food and medical care to some of the most vulnerable refugee communities in eastern Chad. We’re supporting trusted Sudanese community leaders in two key areas:

• The Adré refugee camps

• The Tiné area

Below are important updates from the Children’s Feeding Center and Healthcare Clinic in Adré—both entirely refugee-led and privately funded by people like you.

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For You Healthcare Clinic

Against the backdrop of displacement, hunger, and disease, the small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week, the dedicated medical and administrative teams work with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of people needing the clinic’s services, particularly in the chronic disease and gynecology areas, after large numbers of refugees from El Fasher, North Darfur and Nyala, South Darfur recently arrived in Chad. Here’s a snapshot of life in the clinic during the first two weeks of July:

Photos: Life at the Clinic in Adré

General Medical Care. More than 1,500 patients received treatment. Respiratory infections—driven by dust storms and overcrowded conditions—remain the most common illness, followed by gastrointestinal infections, malaria, typhoid, reproductive challenges, and urinary tract issues. A lack of widely available clean water, proper sanitation, and nutrition support continues to drive health problems such as these.

Emergency and Minor Procedures. The Emergency Department handled 135 urgent cases, including malaria, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, and diabetes.

Chronic Disease Support. The clinic served 270 patients, including check-ups, ongoing follow-up, and providing free treatments for diabetes, stress, and anemia patients. These patients received essential medications, monitoring, and ongoing support to help manage their conditions, an often overlooked need in emergency settings.

Women’s Health Services. The Obstetrics and Gynecology unit provided personalized care to 120 women in the areas of pregnancy, childbirth, gynecological problems, tests, and sonic waves.

Nursing & Minor Operations. Meanwhile, the nursing team treated 267 patients, including administering medicines, performing minor procedures such as removing foreign objects under the skin, and delivering other forms of minor wound care.

Health Education & Awareness. The Awareness and Counseling Department continues to be a crucial pillar of the clinic. Volunteer staff held several group sessions, such as:

• Training workshops to enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities for the clinic team.

• In the second week of July, clinic volunteers held a live theatrical presentation titled Prevention is Better Than Cure for patients and caregivers.

• A number of individual and group awareness sessions were held concerning humanitarian issues in Adré.

For You Children’s Feeding Center

In June, the Children’s Feeding Center was forced to temporarily suspend operations due to a lack of funding. The meals being provided here were the only reliable source of nourishment for hundreds of children. Funds are urgently needed to reopen the center.

Photos: Life at the Clinic in Adré

Current conditions in the Adré camps

What began as a desperate escape from West Darfur is now a protracted humanitarian emergency in eastern Chad. Sudanese refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing and famine face new threats like hunger and disease after arriving at one of the 30+ informal border crossings, many having walked for days carrying only what they could, including mothers and children weakened by hunger and trauma. The scale of this crisis is staggering:

• The number of Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad has surged to nearly 875,000 people.

• 87% of those registered are women and children, of which 25% are adult women.

• Over 230,000 refugees are currently settled in the Adré area, more than five times the town’s original population.

• 14% have specific needs, including people with disabilities, chronic illness, or those who are unaccompanied.

• The Chadian government and United Nations estimate that by the end of 2025, the total number of refugees and returnees across Chad could eclipse one million people.

• Source: UNHCR CHAD| CORE Sudan Emergency Situation (July 20, 2025)

Resources are stretched to the breaking point, especially following recent USAID funding cuts. Most refugees remain in overcrowded and under-resourced sites. Beyond immediate requirements for food, water, and medical care, there is an urgent need for kitchen utensils and sleeping/shelter material. While it is much more secure here than RSF-controlled areas of Darfur, many of the refugees understandably feel vulnerable. Adré sits a few miles outside of Sudan and, while the Chadian government has troops monitoring parts of the border, small numbers of RSF fighters can still slip into the country easily. Some refugees have reported receiving death threats from the paramilitaries.

These heroes need your help

The needs in Adré are urgent and growing every week. Right now, it takes a minimum of $8,500 each month to keep the For You Child Feeding Center & Clinic running at minimal capacity. This covers everything from medical supplies and staff support to hot meals for vulnerable children to basic medication for patients that couldn’t afford it otherwise.

These programs can expand with even more funding. Thousands are still waiting for care. Countless children go to bed hungry every night. You can help change that. In a place where hope is in short supply, your generosity means more than you can imagine.

• $8,500: fully fund the Feeding Center and Clinic for an entire month

• $4,000: support the children's feeding program for one month

• $1,000: provide one week of all basic medicines needed at the clinic

• $500: feed 500 hungry children for one week

• $250: help expand the children's feed program

• $100: deliver nutritional supplements that help fight malnutrition

• $50: deliver anti-malarial, typhus and other speciality medications

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Adré in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn

• When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities, sparking off a protracted humanitarian emergency for refugees in eastern Chad. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• Over 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled into Adré, eastern Chad. Most are women and children. A small clinic and feeding center are saving lives, but they need your help to keep going. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• The small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week, the dedicated team works with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• What does hope look like in a refugee camp? It looks like a child receiving her only hot meal of the day. A mother being treated for malaria. A community standing together. Help us keep hope alive. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025