SHOTLIST

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (NOV. 3, 2025(ANADOLU VIA ZOOM – ACCESS ALL)

SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON OF INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES (IFRC), TOMMASO DELLA LONGA, SAYING:

“The situation in Sudan, as we all saw and know, it's a horrific situation where there is no protection for civilians, no protection for humanitarian workers. Even for us, it's very difficult to get information from al-Fasher in particular, even communication with our teams. It's not easy, but what we know is that there are people walking sometimes even for days to arrive in Tawila Camp, but the biggest fear is that some other civilians are remaining trapped there and we don't know exactly what is happening. It's very difficult to get information from there, so we didn't get anything till now from our teams or at least some very small details on what is small reports on what is happening. Then of course we are really disturbed by some of the footages that are going around and they are showing something that should never happen. We need to remember that civilians must be protecting and respecting every situation, whether they decided to stay or whether they leave. Humanitarian needs are huge, of course, when you are in a place where there is no safe humanitarian access, where there is no access to food, to water, to health, of course what is happening in the last few hours and days is just the icon of where the Sudanese armed conflict is going. Now almost three years, two years and a half of conflict, of a brutal conflict where again people are not respected, access is not guaranteed, humanitarian workers are not protected. I mean it's clear that now everyone in the world for good reasons is speaking about what is happening in Al-Fasher, but then we have to say that in the last two years and a half in Sudan we have been seeing horrific things. The call first and foremost is not to forget Sudan. Sudan is clearly a forgotten crisis. We have some coverage in the international community speaking about that, but we should not forget Sudan, we should not fail the people in Sudan, we should stop the killing, we should get humanitarian access, protection for civilian protection for humanitarians.”
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - NOV. 3: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued a warning about the devastating humanitarian situation in Sudan, describing it as a "forgotten crisis" and highlighting the near-total information blackout from the besieged city of El-Fasher.

Speaking to Anadolu on Monday, Nov. 3, IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa expressed extreme difficulty in obtaining information from El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are clashing.

"The situation in Sudan, as we all saw and know, it's a horrific situation where there is no protection for civilians, no protection for humanitarian workers," Longa stated. "Even for us, it's very difficult to get information from al-Fasher in particular, even communication with our teams."

He reported that civilians are walking for days to reach camps, such as one in Tawila, but the "biggest fear" is that many remain trapped in the city. "We don't know exactly what is happening," he admitted, adding that the organization is "disturbed" by emerging footage from the area.

Longa emphasized that civilians must be protected and respected regardless of their decision to stay or leave.

He pointed to the enormous humanitarian needs in a place with no safe access to food, water, or healthcare.

"What is happening in the last few hours and days is just the icon of where the Sudanese armed conflict is going," he said, noting the conflict's duration of nearly two and a half years. "The call first and foremost is not to forget Sudan. Sudan is clearly a forgotten crisis."

The conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which began on April 15, 2023, has ravaged the country. According to UN and local reports, the war has killed about 20,000 people and displaced over 15 million, creating one of the world's most severe displacement crises.

The situation in Darfur is of particular concern. On Oct. 26, the RSF captured El-Fasher. Local and international organizations have accused the paramilitary force of committing ethnic-based massacres against civilians, mass killings, and attacking hospitals, creating conditions that have led to famine.

Rights groups and analysts warn that the assault on El-Fasher could entrench a geographical partition of Sudan. Despite fierce battles, analysts note the army remains the dominant power, controlling most of the country's territory and institutions.

The International Organization for Migration has reported that over 62,000 people have been displaced from the El-Fasher area alone, adding to the millions affected nationwide as regional and international mediation efforts have repeatedly failed to end the conflict.

Reporting by Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

Writing by Sibel Uygun