The United Nations and Britain have intensified efforts to address escalating violence and humanitarian crises in Africa, highlighting the growing plight of impoverished communities. As poverty and food insecurity worsen across the continent, particularly in regions plagued by conflict, urgent international intervention is being pursued to prevent further devastation.
On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned reported attacks on civilians by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of ethnically driven violence amid the 18-month conflict in Sudan. Since war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF due to a power struggle, nearly five million Sudanese have been displaced in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The RSF has been accused of killing at least 124 people in El Gezira State last month, which activists described as one of the deadliest incidents in the ongoing violence. Guterres voiced deep concern over reports of mass civilian killings, detentions, sexual violence, and the widespread looting of homes, saying such actions may constitute serious violations of international law.
Stephane Dujarric, U.N. spokesperson, emphasized that perpetrators of these grave violations must be held accountable. Britain, which assumed the presidency of the U.N. Security Council for November, announced plans to propose a resolution on Sudan to improve civilian protection and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. British U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the draft resolution aims to enforce compliance with civilian protection commitments, support ceasefire mediation, and hold parties accountable for breaches.
The proposed resolution comes as Sudan’s authorities prepare to decide on the extension of a three-month authorization for U.N. aid access through the Adre border crossing with Chad, a lifeline for those in conflict-affected areas like Darfur. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, however, asserted that this decision rests with Sudan’s government, opposing what he called “politicization of humanitarian assistance.”
In another pressing crisis, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces one of its worst food crises, exacerbated by economic hardship and severe flooding. According to a report by the Nigerian government and the U.N., 33.1 million Nigerians—about a third more than this year—are projected to be food insecure by August 2025 due to high inflation, soaring food prices, and transportation costs. This trend is further worsened by austerity reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu, which include naira devaluation and the elimination of fuel subsidies, driving living costs higher.
High food prices, driven largely by inflation at 32.7% in September, have made basic necessities unattainable for many Nigerians. To address this, the government has distributed cash handouts to five million vulnerable households. However, substantial crop losses from recent floods, estimated at nearly $1 billion, have aggravated the situation, impacting agricultural production in the northern regions, Nigeria’s primary food-producing area.
As these crises deepen, Africa’s struggle with poverty is underscored, and international bodies like the U.N. are pushing for coordinated global responses to alleviate the hardships faced by millions across the continent.