Millions of people across war-torn Sudan, especially in the western regions, continue to face severe humanitarian challenges. Key military figures have shown no signs of ending the civil conflict, as violence and killings persist in North Darfur’s el-Fasher.
On Sunday, international aid agencies urged the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to allow greater access for humanitarian aid. However, a mediation roadmap has so far failed to achieve a ceasefire.
A week after the RSF captured el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following an 18-month siege and starvation campaign, conditions remain dire. The city is now under RSF control, marking the fall of the last major urban center in the western region of Darfur.
Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped within the city, while thousands more have gone missing after fleeing el-Fasher. Only a small number of those who left on foot have reached Tawila, a town approximately 50 kilometers away.
According to Caroline Bouvard, Sudan country director for Solidarites International, only a few hundred additional people have arrived in Tawila in recent days. “These numbers are extremely low given the population that was stuck in el-Fasher,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera from Tawila. “We keep receiving reports that people are stranded on roads and in villages that remain inaccessible due to security concerns.”
Bouvard described the situation in el-Fasher as a “complete blackout” in terms of information. Aid agencies rely on data from surrounding areas, where up to 15,000 people are believed to be trapped. She emphasized the urgent need for advocacy with all parties involved to ensure aid can reach these individuals or facilitate their return to Tawila.
Many survivors who have managed to escape RSF checkpoints and patrols have reported witnessing mass executions, torture, beatings, and sexual violence. Some were abducted and forced to pay ransoms under threat of death. Others have been displaced to the al-Dabbah refugee camp in Sudan’s Northern State, some of whom have been there for weeks.
Al Jazeera reporter Hiba Morgan, based at the camp, noted that the influx of displaced people from el-Fasher has worsened the humanitarian crisis. People in the camp are in desperate need of food, clean water, medication, and shelter, with many sleeping outdoors. Thousands more could arrive in the coming days as people flee the ongoing violence by RSF fighters.
Several countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, have condemned the mass killings and called for increased humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Department of State expressed concern over the RSF’s actions, stating, “The RSF must stop engaging in retribution and ethnic violence; the tragedy in El Geneina must not be repeated.” The statement referenced the massacre of Masalit people in West Darfur’s capital.
The U.S. also emphasized that there is no viable military solution to the conflict and that external military support only prolongs the suffering. It urged both sides to pursue a negotiated resolution to end the crisis.
U.S. lawmakers have also called for action following the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher. Republican Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has advocated for the U.S. to officially designate the RSF as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
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