A fresh wave of displacement has gripped El Fasher in North Darfur, where more than 15,000 people have rushed out of the city in just 48 hours, escaping fierce clashes and grave allegations of attacks on civilians by the Rapid Support Forces.
The Sudanese Doctors Network said most of those who fled were women, children and older people, many of whom trekked through dangerous terrain with no reliable source of food or water before reaching Tawila.
In its update shared on Thursday, the medical network described scenes of fear and exhaustion, noting that families fled under gunfire and faced violent assaults while trying to escape.
According to the group, many were robbed, beaten and subjected to abuse linked to their ethnic identity as they attempted to reach safety.
“They arrived in critical health and humanitarian conditions after a harsh displacement journey that lasted for many hours under extremely dangerous circumstances, where many of them were subjected to looting, physical assault, killing, and ethnically-based abuse by the Rapid Support Forces while trying to flee El Fasher city,” the group said.
Tawila, where the displaced have sought refuge, is now struggling to cope. Its already limited health services are overwhelmed and running short of essential supplies.
The network said access to drinking water remains limited, raising fears of disease outbreaks and worsening hunger among those who escaped with almost nothing.
Humanitarian workers warned that the situation is worsening by the hour and could quickly become uncontrollable if relief fails to reach the area soon. They pushed for urgent global action, saying stranded families around El Fasher are still unable to relocate due to insecurity and lack of safe routes.
“The international community and the UN should act immediately to open safe humanitarian corridors between El Fasher and the surrounding areas, as large numbers of displaced people remain trapped, and some have not found anything to eat for three days,” the group said.
“(They should) provide emergency medical and food support to the displaced in Tawila and the host areas and protect civilians and ensure the unhindered delivery of aid without obstruction or armed threat.”
This surge of displacement comes amid rising reports of ethnic killings and mass civilian casualties linked to RSF operations in El Fasher. Rights groups and local monitors say at least 1,500 people may have been killed in recent days as civilians tried to leave the city.
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has admitted that his fighters committed violations during the takeover and announced a probe.
But rights observers doubt the move will lead to any accountability, citing previous unfulfilled promises related to violence in El Geneina and the Gezira region.
