The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed deep concern over the worsening violence in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur region, where brutal clashes have forced thousands of civilians to flee. Reports indicate that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have entered the city, spreading fear among residents who have already endured more than 500 days of siege and conflict.
Approximately 26,000 people have fled El Fasher in recent days, facing extreme dangers on their way to safety, including armed checkpoints, looting, harassment, and arbitrary detention. Many of those escaping to Tawila, about 50 kilometres away, have described the journey as terrifying. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, with additional displacement reported across North Darfur and more people expected to flee to neighbouring Chad, where UNHCR and partners are preparing to assist new arrivals.
Grave protection violations are being reported, including widespread sexual violence against women and girls, as well as executions within El Fasher. UNHCR voiced particular concern for vulnerable populations such as people with disabilities and urged all parties to halt attacks on civilians and ensure safe passage for those fleeing the violence. The agency emphasized that adherence to international humanitarian law is a mandatory obligation.
In Tawila, displaced families—especially children—are arriving malnourished, ill, and traumatized after enduring harrowing journeys. UNHCR is providing shelter, cash assistance, essential supplies, and psychosocial support, while conducting protection assessments for the most vulnerable. Thousands of household kits are ready for delivery in South Darfur, and medical supplies, including post-exposure prophylaxis kits, are being prepared for shipment from Chad to address growing needs.
Communication disruptions have made it difficult to receive updates from civilians trapped inside El Fasher, where insecurity is blocking humanitarian access and leaving residents without food, clean water, or medical care. Similar patterns of violence have been reported in North Kordofan, where the fall of the town of Bara has displaced thousands and raised fears of a possible siege in El Obeid.
Despite dangerous conditions and significant funding challenges—Sudan’s 2025 humanitarian appeal is only 27 per cent funded—UNHCR and its partners continue working to deliver life-saving support across Darfur and the wider Sudanese region, which remains the site of the world’s largest displacement crisis.
