The United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday adopted by consensus a resolution ordering an urgent fact-finding inquiry into alleged war crimes in and around the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, where paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have encircled civilians for months. The move came as UNICEF reported that at least 330 children have been killed or injured in Sudan since the start of the year, many in drone strikes, and a separate UN report documented 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence across 16 of the country’s 18 states, affecting at least 838 victims, predominantly women and girls.

The British-drafted resolution, supported by Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway, condemns RSF attacks on civilian areas, demands an immediate humanitarian truce and unhindered aid access, and denounces all forms of external interference fuelling the conflict. Britain’s human rights ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, told the council that the horrors seen during the RSF’s siege of al-Fashir last year “must not be repeated.” South Africa’s ambassador, Zaheer Laher, described the situation as a “red alert,” accusing the RSF of drawing from the “same genocidal playbook” used in North Darfur. China’s delegation dissociated itself from the decision, stating it did not support country-specific investigations without the state’s consent. The African rights group DefendDefenders argued the council “failed to fully seize the moment” by not explicitly naming external actors it says sustain the RSF, a reference to what UN experts and US lawmakers have described as credible evidence of military support from the United Arab Emirates — an allegation Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied.

The humanitarian picture underpinning the diplomatic action is stark. UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, said children “are killed and injured in their homes, on roads, in markets and while trying to access essential services.” The UN human rights office documented sexual violence patterns including gang rape, sexual slavery and abduction, with at least 59 women and girls becoming pregnant or giving birth after rape amid collapsed health facilities. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, warned of a “catastrophe” unfolding around El-Obeid, citing summary executions, torture and sexual violence. The resolution also condemns the use of starvation as a method of war, noting restrictions on food convoys and attacks on water and fuel infrastructure. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq reiterated that “there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan” and that further escalation, including the increasing use of drones, would only deepen the crisis.

In parallel, the UAE announced a $30 million emergency humanitarian response for civilians affected by the deteriorating conditions in El-Obeid, framing the aid as part of a consistent policy of supporting the Sudanese people in cooperation with the UN. Sudan’s army-aligned government, which has long accused the UAE of arming the RSF, objected to the continuation of the fact-finding mission’s mandate, but the council maintained it. The mission is now tasked with delivering its findings to the council’s next session in September, a timeline that will test whether diplomatic pressure can translate into improved protection for civilians in a war that has, since April 2023, generated what UN officials describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.