UN News Today 19 February 2026 |

Sudan: UN fact-finding mission finds ‘Hallmarks of Genocide’ in El Fasher

A brutal, 18-month siege and subsequent assault by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in and around El Fasher – the capital of North Darfur in Sudan – bear the “hallmarks of genocide,” a UN fact-finding mission said on Thursday.

In a new report, investigators concluded that at least three acts of genocide were committed: killing members of protected groups, causing serious harm, and imposing life conditions aimed at destroying them.

The findings detail a systematic campaign of killings, sexual violence, starvation, and destruction directed mainly against the non-Arab Zaghawa and Fur communities. 

The mission said these crimes were planned and coordinated, showing clear genocidal intent.

Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, Mohamed Chande Othman said the RSF operation bore “the defining characteristics of genocide,” while expert Mona Rishmawi warned that the body of evidence leaves “only one reasonable inference: intent to destroy.”

The Mission called for urgent action to protect civilians and ensure accountability, warning that the risk of further genocidal acts in Sudan remains serious and ongoing.

UN rights office warns of possible ethnic cleansing in Gaza and West Bank

The UN human rights office has raised alarm over what it calls possible ethnic cleansing by Israeli authorities in Gaza and the West Bank, citing intensified violence, destruction, and forcible transfers aimed at the permanent displacement of Palestinians.

In a report covering November 2024 to October 2025, the UN said Israeli attacks, mass demolitions, and denial of humanitarian aid in Gaza appear intended to bring about a lasting demographic shift. 

It documented widespread civilian deaths, famine, and destruction of critical infrastructure, warning these acts may constitute war crimes or even genocide.

Here is Ajit Sunghay, head of the OHCHR for the Occupied Palestinian territory, speaking from Gaza.

“The report looks into the conduct of hostilities by the Israeli military, which continued to kill main unprecedented number of civilians, caused a catastrophic human-made humanitarian crisis, including the tragic spread of famine, displaced virtually the entire population of Gaza, often multiple times.”

In the occupied West Bank, the report describes systematic unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, and home demolitions used to oppress and dominate Palestinians.

High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk stressed that impunity for such violations must end, calling accountability “indispensable” for any just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel.

WFP scales up aid as conflict deepens hunger crisis in Jonglei, South Sudan

The UN World Food Programme is intensifying its emergency response in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, where escalating conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and driven hunger to critical levels.

WFP teams are registering newly displaced families in Canal Pigi and other northern Jonglei areas to receive urgently needed food assistance – some for the first time since fighting began. 

The agency plans to reach more than half a million people facing catastrophic food insecurity.

Adham Effendi, WFP’s acting country director, said the operation marks a crucial step in supporting communities “caught in the crossfire,” noting that many had already lost their homes and livelihoods to flooding before being forced to flee again.

Insecurity has severely hampered humanitarian access, with operations suspended in parts of Upper Nile and northern Jonglei following recent violence. WFP and partners are now using river corridors to deliver food and nutrition support where needs are greatest.

The agency warns it urgently needs $341 million to assist 4.2 million people across South Sudan this year.

Charlotte Frantz, UN News