KHARTOUM, Sudan: More than 3,200 families — roughly 16,200 people — have fled the North Darfur capital El-Fasher for the nearby town of Tawila after attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a local displacement coordination body said on Saturday.
The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees warned that the newcomers are in urgent need of food, medicine, clean water, sanitation, shelter materials and psychological support. It said conditions were worsening as basic needs continued to rise.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said medical teams have recorded a sharp rise in malnutrition among people displaced from El-Fasher.
MSF reiterated calls for safe humanitarian access and immediate nutrition and medical assistance to prevent further deterioration.
Mass displacement since El-Fasher fell
The latest flight of families followed the RSF’s seizure of El-Fasher on 26 October, an advance that local and international groups say was accompanied by mass killings and other atrocities.
The attack forced thousands to flee on foot and by vehicle into surrounding towns and informal sites.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that more than 81,000 people have left El-Fasher and nearby areas since 26 October.
Many of those displaced have sought refuge in Tawila and other parts of North Darfur.
The UN and partner agencies say the situation in Darfur and across Sudan forms part of the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Humanitarian bodies report that millions have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF on 15 April 2023.
The UN’s humanitarian office and Sudan-focused agencies warn that more than nine million people are internally displaced and that needs across the country are critical.
Aid groups say the combination of rampant displacement, disrupted markets and damaged health services is driving growing hunger and disease outbreaks, including cholera, in areas hosting large numbers of people.
Humanitarian organisations have appealed repeatedly for unimpeded access to reach the most vulnerable.
Violence and cross-front attacks
The conflict has spilled beyond Darfur. Military sources reported that Sudan’s air-defence forces shot down a drone launched by the RSF towards the key city of El Obeid in North Kordofan, two days after the RSF signalled it was prepared to consider a US-backed truce.
El Obeid sits on a strategic supply route linking Khartoum with Darfur and has been targeted repeatedly in recent weeks.
International agencies and local groups have documented accounts of mass executions, torture, rape and forced detention in areas taken by RSF fighters.
Survivors and humanitarian monitors say many civilians remain trapped in contested areas with little or no aid.
Agencies warn that without rapid scale-up of assistance and protection, the humanitarian toll will mount.
