Aid workers in Sudan have raised alarm after only a small number of people fleeing the recent Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack on El-Fasher reached safety. Reports suggest hundreds have been killed during the assault and while attempting to escape. The paramilitary force seized the city earlier this week, intensifying Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict that began in 2023 between the RSF and the country’s military. Disrupted communication lines and restricted access have made it difficult for humanitarian groups to assess the full scale of devastation.
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The World Health Organization reported that around 460 people were killed inside the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher, where witnesses claimed RSF fighters attacked patients and civilians. Satellite images have revealed what appear to be bodies lying across city streets, confirming the scale of violence. The footage shared by Darfur’s governor also showed RSF fighters shooting people inside the hospital, adding to growing evidence of war crimes. Experts warn that the humanitarian situation in Darfur is worsening rapidly, with mass killings, arbitrary detentions, and attacks on medical facilities.
Meanwhile, aid organizations like the Norwegian Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee have expressed deep concern for those unaccounted for. Only a small number of survivors managed to reach the nearby town of Tawila, located 60 kilometers west of El-Fasher. Many who fled described horrific scenes, including bodies along escape routes and random executions by RSF fighters. “Where are the others? That tells the horror of the journey,” said an aid worker managing a refugee camp in Tawila.
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The International Rescue Committee has warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped in and around El-Fasher without safe passage. Its president, David Miliband, called for immediate global action to guarantee civilian protection and ensure aid reaches those in need. “The fact that so few people are arriving safely should alarm everyone,” he said, urging all parties to uphold humanitarian laws and stop targeting civilians.
Satellite analysis by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab confirmed mass killings near the Saudi Hospital and a detention center at the former Children’s Hospital. It also showed “systematic executions” near the eastern wall constructed earlier this year by the RSF. Although RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo admitted “abuses” by his troops and announced an investigation, aid workers say such promises offer little comfort to the thousands still missing or in danger. As violence escalates, international pressure is mounting for immediate intervention to stop yet another humanitarian tragedy in Darfur.