Written question asked by Fleur Anderson (Labour) on Thursday, 16 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 September 2026. It was answered by Kirsty McNeill (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take during the rainy season to help prevent future atrocities in El Obeid.

Answer: There is widespread concern that a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assault on El Obeid may lead to further atrocities. The UK has helped to stand-up an international response intended to deter a repeat of such atrocities, through the UK-founded Coalition for Atrocity Prevention, with G7 partners, with E4+ partners and at the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the UN Security Council. On 3 July, the UK convened an Urgent Debate at the UN Human Rights Council on El Obeid, and on 6 July, a UK-penned HRC resolution was adopted by consensus, condemning atrocities, urging the warring parties to agree an immediate ceasefire and comply with international law, and calling for an urgent inquiry by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. These messages, and calls for unimpeded humanitarian access, have been repeatedly reiterated directly to the warring parties, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, by the UK's Special Representative to Sudan. The UK has also introduced five rounds of sanctions since the conflict began, including on RSF commanders suspected of committing atrocities in El Fasher.

Secondary information