Senior Guardian reporter. Awards inc British Press Awards reporter of the yr, Amnesty, FPA, Orwell Prize, Oneworld.. mark.townsend@theguardian.com

Joined April 2010
48 Photos and videos
Mark Townsend retweeted
We are proud to announce the finalists for the 2026 Orwell Prize for Journalism. Congratulations all - and huge thanks to our expert panel @GregWilliams718 (Chair), Nick Davies, @meenakshirv & @SayeedaWarsi. Explore the shortlists: orwellfoundation.com/the-orw…
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Mark Townsend retweeted
#KeepEyesOnSudan A @guardian investigation reveals that internal US and UK warnings were sidelined. "US State Department intelligence assessments that would have triggered obligations to save El Fasher were buried." "The UK seemingly abandoned El Fasher: reports predicting genocide apparently discarded; intelligence apparatus that should have prompted intervention were not updated throughout the 561-day siege." The Sudan war was an open secret. "Chronicle of a Death Foretold": They all knew about it, yet it was allowed to happen and to continue happening. theguardian.com/global-devel…
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Mark Townsend retweeted
This statement doesn’t once include the word “genocide”, which was the core finding of the report to which it is responding.
Foreign Secretary @YvetteCooperMP's statement on the release of the UN Fact Finding Mission Report on El Fasher ⤵️
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Powerful reminder to the #UNSC from @HalaYAlkarib of @SIHAnet: the future of #Sudan must be written by its own people. Read her full statement here: wps.ngo/alkarib2026
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Mark Townsend retweeted
Dr. Omar Selik’s raw, urgent testimony from a besieged city cut through the fog of war, crystallizing the depravity of Sudan's war. And then he was gone. nytimes.com/2025/10/01/world…
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Mark Townsend retweeted
“It's inspiring to see so many reporters using clear, brave writing to expose injustices.” – Dr Matt Walsh, Chair of Judges Congratulations to the finalists for the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2025. Explore their work: orwellfoundation.com/the-orw… #OrwellPrize2025
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Mark Townsend retweeted
So grateful to @Sonja_Miley & @CrowtherMaddy at @WagingPeaceUK for speaking to us about the conflict & their work with refugees & to @TownsendMark for sharing his insight into his recent trip to Chad. Read his article here: google.com/amp/s/amp.theguar… #Sudan open.spotify.com/episode/54L…
NEW EPISODE! The latest conflict has plunged Sudan into "one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history". We speak to @TownsendMark, a senior global development reporter at the @guardian on what he's seen. We also speak to the Co-Directors at @WagingPeaceUK
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Mark Townsend retweeted
NEW EPISODE! The latest conflict has plunged Sudan into "one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history". We speak to @TownsendMark, a senior global development reporter at the @guardian on what he's seen. We also speak to the Co-Directors at @WagingPeaceUK
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Mark Townsend retweeted
Middle East thrust into ‘apocalyptic’ humanitarian crisis. Powerful reporting by @TownsendMark for @guardian on how war in the region, particularly in #Gaza, is putting unprecedented pressures on aid agencies to reach those in need of assistance. theguardian.com/global-devel…
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Mark Townsend retweeted
Amid quite a lot of misleading both-sidesy commentary and coverage of the Armistice Day disorder, today’s First Edition with @TownsendMark goes through what we know about who was responsible. (By an overwhelming and unambiguous margin, the far right.) theguardian.com/world/2023/n…
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