Al-Yurae- The humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, Darfur, has reached devastating proportions following the city’s capture by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the end of October 2025. Reports from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations reveal widespread atrocities, systematic violence, and mass displacement that have transformed El Fasher into a city of sorrow and suffering.
Systematic Violence and Displacement
Local and international organizations document that the RSF took control of El Fasher after 18 months of siege, carrying out massacres of civilians and triggering one of the world’s most significant humanitarian emergencies. The takeover resulted in the displacement of more than 450,000 people, many of whom fled to Tawila and other regions nearby. Services in these destinations are sorely inadequate, with makeshift shelters and limited access to essential supplies and medical care. Medics report critical injuries and acute shortages of medicine among displaced populations, with entire families—often headed by women—forced into overcrowded camps after the loss or detention of male relatives. The International Organization for Migration estimates that about 82,000 people have escaped El Fasher, with thousands still trapped in the city without safe passage.
Humanitarian Conditions and Atrocities
Within El Fasher, civilians who endured months of siege are now exposed to atrocities on an unimaginable scale. UN reports describe the murder of hundreds of residents, including women, children, and wounded individuals seeking refuge in hospitals and schools. There have been documented incidents of ethnic violence, mass killings, summary executions, abductions, and targeted attacks on medical facilities, such as the killing of more than 460 patients and the abduction of health workers from Saudi Maternity Hospital. Survivors recount witnessing public killings and abuses during their attempted escapes, while many remain missing after trying to flee.
The city faces dire shortages of food, clean water, and medical care, compounded by outbreaks of diseases such as cholera. The region recorded hundreds of suspected cholera cases and dozens of deaths in 2025 alone. Malnutrition and hunger are rampant, especially among children and pregnant women. Relief organizations warn that their capacity is overwhelmed by the scale of need and highlight the urgent requirement for expanded health, water, sanitation, and protective services.
UN experts and agencies increasingly voice alarm at the world’s inability to prevent mass atrocities and provide adequate protection. The UN Human Rights Council has scheduled urgent sessions to address the crisis, underscoring the need for safe corridors, unrestricted humanitarian access, and accountability for violations. As the war between the Sudanese army and RSF continues to rage since April 2023, the consequences extend well beyond Darfur, with over 11.7 million displaced nationwide and millions more affected by food insecurity, violence, and collapse of basic services.
The Human Face of the Crisis
Footage from aid organizations shows children running through desolate camps, adults carrying scarce food for swelling crowds, and families surviving on minimal resources. Many of those arriving in camps are accompanied by unaccompanied children—orphans or those separated from their parents amid the chaos. UN rights officials warn that El Fasher has become a “city of sorrow,” where entire families have been killed, and others have disappeared. Medics and local authorities appeal for immediate lifesaving aid, protection, and international solidarity.
The tragedy unfolding in El Fasher epitomizes the scale and complexity of Sudan’s humanitarian disaster. Without urgent intervention and meaningful accountability, the suffering of civilians trapped in the violence will only deepen.
