Sudan conflict displaces thousands amid escalating violence

Thousands of people have fled El Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur, in recent days due to the intensified fighting across the Darfur and Kordofan states between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

AI Brief

RSF forces captured key towns including El Fasher, triggering mass displacement and brutal violence against civilians.
Over 71,000 people fled to overcrowded camps, facing hunger, disease, and lack of shelter as host communities struggle to cope.
Sudan's ongoing war between SAF and RSF has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

This escalation follows the RSF's recapture of several strategic towns, including Bara in North Kordofan and El Fasher.

The International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 71,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since the city's fall on Oct. 26, most to overcrowded camps in the town of Tawila, 40 kilometers away.

Survivors recount harrowing journeys through checkpoints and patrols controlled by RSF fighters, with reports of mass executions, torture, beatings, and sexual violence along the way.

"As we left El Fasher, the fighting was intense, forcing us to run westward. We ran very fast, and when we reached the halfway point, we lost all sense of direction and began running into the unknown. But we kept running; we had no other choice. We suffered greatly along the way," said Rashida Ibrahim Ali, a displaced resident.

"In the streets along our displacement route we found a lot of bodies. We found bodies of women and youth. There is no one to bury them," said Zahra Mohamed, another displaced resident.

"Countless people have died, including my son, a soldier, who was martyred in El Fasher. Another son was wounded in the chest and eye and underwent surgery yesterday. Random shelling kills at least 30 to 40 people every day. We have witnessed so much suffering in El Fasher, but we have never seen anything like it since we were children. The roads are full of bandits on motorcycles and camels. They beat people, steal their money and everything they own, even their blankets," said Fawzia Hassan, another displaced resident.

According to the United Nations, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tawila has nearly tripled from over 230,000 in March to more than 650,000 by September. Host communities are overwhelmed, struggling to provide enough food, medicine, and shelter for the influx of new arrivals.

"People are suffering badly from hunger. A lot of people died from lack of food, Malaria and anemia and lack of physical fitness," Mohamed said.

Many displaced people have also been forced to seek refuge in the al-Dabbah camp in Northern State, with thousands more expected to arrive as violence continues unabated.

Sudan remains engulfed in a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, plunging the country deeper into a humanitarian crisis.