UN Security Council Considers New Resolution Amid Sudan Crisis, Urges Aid Access, Ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council is weighing a new resolution, drafted by the UK, that calls on Sudan’s warring factions to cease hostilities and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian aid across borders.

Nearly 25 million Sudanese—half the population—require urgent aid as famine grips displacement camps, with more than 11 million people forced from their homes since the conflict began.

The war, which erupted in April 2023, stems from a power struggle between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), igniting the world’s largest displacement crisis.

Ethnic violence, attributed largely to the RSF, has intensified; however, the RSF denies responsibility, blaming rogue actors within its ranks.

British UN ambassador Barbara Woodward emphasized the scale of human rights abuses, including widespread sexual violence, and noted that Sudanese authorities granted limited approval for aid groups to use the Adre border crossing with Chad, a critical route set to expire mid-November.

The draft resolution demands that both factions halt attacks and ensure “safe, rapid, and unhindered” humanitarian access.

The resolution, if adopted, would require nine votes in favor with no vetoes from Security Council members, including the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK.