On 27 October 2025 the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned further Rapid Support Forces advances in El Fasher, warning of catastrophic consequences for civilians trapped in the city. She urged safe exit routes and unobstructed access to lifesaving aid.
The statement cited a pattern of abuses in and around El Fasher, including killings, torture and sexual violence. It highlighted grave risks to women and girls, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, and called for immediate protection measures.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) reiterated that both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have publicly committed to protect civilians and enable humanitarian access under international humanitarian law. It pressed commanders to issue clear orders down the chain to safeguard civilians and aid operations, adding that RSF leaders would be held accountable for their forces’ actions. These points reflect earlier UK messaging around the Jeddah commitments.
The government grounded its appeal in UN Security Council Resolution 2736 of 13 June 2024, which demands the RSF lift the siege of El Fasher, calls for an immediate halt to fighting and de‑escalation, and requires rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian relief with freedom of movement for civilians. The resolution passed with 14 votes in favour and one abstention.
The FCDO urged all parties to cooperate with the UN and humanitarian agencies and to stop attacks on civilians, aid workers and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. Security Council press statements in April and June 2025 likewise recalled Resolution 2736 and condemned attacks that impeded relief efforts, underlining the Council’s continuing focus on access and protection.
On funding, the FCDO said the UK is providing £120 million for Sudan this year, channelled through organisations including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, plus an additional £5 million for the Sudan Cash Consortium. It added that around two‑thirds of this support targets the most vulnerable in North Darfur.
Parliamentary answers in July confirmed that the April London conference uplift includes support for locally led delivery, with Emergency Response Rooms and Mutual Aid Groups funded via the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and the Mercy‑Corps‑led Cash Consortium for Sudan. This signals an emphasis on cash and local responders in hard‑to‑reach areas.
For operational agencies, translating these commitments into practice hinges on verifiable access: clear, standing orders to fighters, notification‑based movement rather than case‑by‑case permissions, and time‑bound pauses to move aid at scale. The UK has previously called for 72‑hour pauses across North Darfur to enable large‑scale deliveries.
Cooper said the UK will keep working with international partners, “including the Quad”, to press for a ceasefire and a path toward peace. Recent statements describe the Quad on Sudan as comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which has been coordinating positions on humanitarian access and a political process.
The FCDO linked an end to the war to UK domestic security and efforts to curb irregular migration, framing conflict‑driven displacement from Sudan as a driver of onward movements. That position will shape UK diplomacy and aid allocations as London seeks both access for relief and compliance with international humanitarian law.