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| People displaced after Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on the Zamzam displacement camp shelter in the town of Tawila near el-Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, on April 15, 2025 [Reuters] |
El Fasher, Sudan – The city of El Fasher in North Darfur has fallen into the grip of a humanitarian crisis after its capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The scale of violence and suffering is drawing alarm from international organisations and governments.
Fall of the city
For more than 18 months, El Fasher was under siege. The RSF had encircled it, cutting off food, water, medical aid and communications. On or around late October 2025 the city fell to RSF fighters.
With the capture, the RSF gained control of what had been the last stronghold of the national army in Darfur.
Atrocities reported
Very soon after the takeover, numerous reports described what human-rights groups are calling mass killings, summary executions, and ethnic-targeted violence inside El Fasher.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 460 people — including patients and companions — were killed at the city’s main hospital.
- Other sources estimate fatalities in the thousands during the days of the city’s fall.
- Investigations using satellite imagery found mass clusters consistent with bodies in neighbourhoods of El Fasher after the RSF’s arrival.
- Reports indicate civilians were executed while trying to flee, facilities were looted, and entire communities faced attacks.
Human-rights defenders warn of ethnic cleansing, targeting non-Arab Darfuri groups such as the Fur, Zaghawa and Berti.
Humanitarian crisis deepening
The siege already had left vast numbers of people in dire conditions. According to WHO:
- Over 260,000 people were trapped in El Fasher with little or no access to food, water or medical care before the fall.
- Cholera, malnutrition and other diseases were spreading because of the lack of healthcare and the siege.
- As thousands fled, camps like the town of Tawila began receiving displaced people, but the scale is overwhelming.
International response
The takeover of El Fasher and the alleged atrocities have triggered international outrage and urgent calls for action:
- The United Nations Security Council condemned the RSF assault, stating there is a “heightened risk of large-scale atrocities, including ethnically motivated atrocities”.
- The UN and other aid agencies called for unfettered humanitarian access and for all parties to protect civilians and medical facilities.
- Countries such as Iran condemned the violence and reaffirmed support for Sudan’s territorial integrity.
- Protests in Europe, including Berlin, demanded action against the alleged genocide in Darfur and the violence in El Fasher.
Why this matters
El Fasher’s fall signals a major shift in the war in Sudan. The RSF now controls most of Darfur’s urban centres.
Observers fear that Sudan could fragment, much like what happened when South Sudan separated a decade ago.
The scale and form of violence recall worst-case scenarios: hospitals massacred, civilians killed in their beds, and patterns reminiscent of past genocides.
The local toll
Inside El Fasher, people describe harrowing scenes: homes burned, bodies lying in the streets, terrified residents hiding or fleeing with little more than the clothes they wore.
Children, women and displaced persons are among the most vulnerable. For example, in early October one attack on a displacement centre killed at least 17 children.
Health workers note that what used to be a hospital became a site of mass killing and trauma.
Challenges ahead
Delivering aid is extremely difficult. The siege, security risks, lack of safe corridors and destruction of infrastructure hinder humanitarian access.
Accountability is uncertain. The RSF denies many allegations, while investigations face communication black-outs and restricted data from inside the city.
The international community is under pressure to act — but meaningful interventions and enforcement have so far been limited.
The events in El Fasher are a stark example of war’s worst impacts on civilians. A city once besieged, now overtaken — and in its wake, widespread destruction, deaths, displacement and a humanitarian catastrophe. The world is watching, yet the suffering on the ground continues. Urgent protection of civilians, safe passage for aid, truthful documentation and accountability are vital if further tragedy is to be avoided.
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