Source: UN News. Text reproduced with attribution.

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to extend its sanctions regime on Sudan for two months, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the humanitarian and healthcare crisis in Darfur is rapidly outstripping available resources.

Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO’s top official in Sudan, recently concluded a 10-day mission in September, visiting hospitals, health centers, and laboratories across every Darfur state except East Darfur.

“I have witnessed the immense scale of health and humanitarian needs in Tawila and other parts of Darfur,” Abubakar said, praising local healthcare workers for continuing to serve their communities despite severe funding shortages, lack of supplies, and ongoing insecurity.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Darfur currently hosts 65 percent of Sudan’s 8.6 million displaced people.

The region is facing critical shortages, with mental health services severely restricted and stocks of essential medicines for HIV, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases running dangerously low. Malnutrition is also a major concern, which the WHO expects to worsen due to poor rainfall, crop failures, and a strong El Niño pattern.

To address these growing needs, the WHO has called for safe, sustained, and unimpeded access to scale up operations in Darfur, Kordofan, and other conflict-affected areas. However, the agency's $97.7 million humanitarian appeal for 2026 remains severely underfunded, with only 23 percent of the required funds received so far.

On Thursday, the Security Council unanimously renewed the Sudan sanctions regime—which includes targeted sanctions and an arms embargo—until December 11. The mandate for the panel of experts monitoring these sanctions was also extended to January 11, 2027.

The resolution, drafted by the United States, is what diplomats call a “technical rollover”—a short renewal that leaves the existing mandate unchanged. This follows a previous one-month rollover approved on September 11.

The sanctions regime was originally established in 2004 during the Darfur conflict to restrict the flow of weapons into the region.

According to news reports, Washington had sought to expand the arms embargo to cover the entirety of Sudan and all warring parties, as well as targeting drones and dual-use technology. However, this proposal failed to reach a consensus, with approximately half of the Security Council members reportedly favoring a one-year renewal limited strictly to Darfur.

Meanwhile, the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and disrupt aid delivery.

On October 3, an aerial attack in South Kordofan struck two trucks contracted by the World Food Programme (WFP), killing a driver.

Diplomatic resolutions remain stalled. News reports indicate the Sudanese army continues to resist a US-backed proposal for a 90-day ceasefire. Additionally, independent investigators appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have warned that external support is continuing to sustain the military capabilities of both warring factions.