Denise Brown, United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, told journalists on Friday that fighting around El Fasher has intensified over the past 24 hours and that civilians continuing to flee the area face severe risks.

"Over the past 24 hours, we've received multiple reports of an intensification in the fighting in El Fashar," Brown said, adding that she could not confirm whether the Rapid Support Forces controlled the town. She said Tawila, about 50 kilometers away, remains a humanitarian hub and a destination for people arriving in dire condition.

Brown described those arriving in Tawila as "dehydrated, malnourished, some injured, and all traumatized," and said the United Nations and partner organizations have documented thousands of children in the area who are severely malnourished. "It's severe, which means children need to be hospitalized," she said.

The coordinator reiterated that there has been a blockade of humanitarian assistance into Al-Fashir for "over 500 days," preventing delivery of nutrition products and medical support to hospitals and clinics inside the town. She cited recent OHCHR reporting of "a multitude of reports of summary executions of unarmed men and civilians in El Fazir," and added that humanitarian volunteers and staff have been killed.

Brown said "more than 128 workers" have been killed since the war began in April 2023 and urged the Rapid Support Forces to "allow safe passage for them" or to allow the United Nations and humanitarian agencies access. "The RSF needs to demonstrate respect for international humanitarian law and let those people leave. Alternatively, they need to let us in," she said.

On public health, Brown said the World Health Organization and ministries of health — including authorities in Chad — have been able to move vaccines toward Darfur, but that crowded and unsanitary camp conditions mean cholera and dengue are likely to continue unless water, sanitation and hygiene conditions improve.

Brown also highlighted the funding shortfall: the UN's humanitarian response plan for Sudan is 27% funded, which she said limits the community's ability to respond to people arriving "traumatized, raped, and starving." She added that a large UN humanitarian convoy is headed toward Kordofan and that officials hoped for progress in the coming days.

When asked about direct contact with the Rapid Support Forces, Brown said the UN is "engaged in conversations with all actors" and that "dialogue is ongoing," but that specifics are confidential. She emphasized that humanitarian assistance cannot substitute for a political solution, saying, "The humanitarian response is not a solution to this situation. We are there contributing to protecting civilians, but a solution absolutely needs to be found."

Brown gave planning estimates of between about 120,000 and 400,000 people who may be trapped in El Fasher, noting the uncertainty because UN teams have not been allowed into the town to verify figures. She said Tawila and surrounding hubs are receiving arrivals and that IOM displacement tracking shows movements the UN is trying to follow; she also said Tawila is receiving very large numbers and in some areas is "being overwhelmed" with more than 600,000 displaced.

On logistics readiness, Brown said the UN has had 42 trucks on standby since July, loaded with food, medicines, hygiene kits and shelter materials, and that they could be deployed quickly if safe passage is granted.

Brown also noted that about 1 million refugees from other countries (for example, Eritrea and South Sudan) were already in Sudan and are part of UNHCR's mandate; she said UN agencies are struggling to cover needs for both those refugees and internally displaced Sudanese given the current funding level.

The briefing closed with Brown urging respect for humanitarian access and reiterating the need for a broader political resolution to end the violence and allow aid to reach people in need.