Sudan’s war has turned El Fasher into the epicenter of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with about 30 million people now in need of aid. After months under siege, the Rapid Support Forces seized the city this fall, sending tens of thousands toward Tawila as malnutrition and disease surge.
Sudan’s civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on April 15, 2023, following years of fraught power-sharing after the October 2021 coup. The conflict has since collapsed basic services and pushed needs to an unprecedented scale, with UN agencies estimating roughly 30 million people require assistance in 2025. (ungeneva.org)
After a siege of more than a year, the RSF entered and then seized El Fasher (also spelled al-Fashir) in late October 2025, capping months of shelling, blockades and documented atrocities around the city. Satellite analysis by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab and statements from UN bodies describe mass killings, strikes on civilian areas and evidence of mass graves following the takeover. The UN Security Council condemned RSF assaults; UNFPA and multiple outlets reported RSF entry on Oct. 28 and the city’s fall by the end of that week. (unfpa.org)
Displacement has surged toward Tawila, about 70 kilometers west of El Fasher. Aid groups report overcrowded camps, acute malnutrition among newly arrived children and severe shortages of food, water and medical care. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) says its teams are providing emergency water and other services in Tawila and warns that far fewer people than expected have managed to escape El Fasher, raising fears that many are trapped or dead. Médecins Sans Frontières and UN agencies have separately flagged “staggering” malnutrition rates among arrivals. (rescue.org)
Casualty counts remain uncertain. The Associated Press and other outlets have reported at least 40,000 deaths, while research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated more than 61,000 deaths from all causes in Khartoum State alone during the first 14 months of the war—suggesting the nationwide toll is far higher when indirect deaths from hunger and disease are included. European asylum analysts note U.S. officials have cited estimates that total deaths could exceed 150,000, underscoring the wide range. (apnews.com)
Both parties have been accused of grave abuses. UN human rights investigators and the UN rights office have documented widespread violations, including summary executions, sexual violence, and repeated strikes on health facilities—crimes they say are consistent with war crimes and crimes against humanity. In January 2025, the United States determined that members of the RSF and allied militias committed genocide in Darfur and imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. (sudan.un.org)
Regional power dynamics have sharpened the conflict’s stakes. Reuters reporting indicates Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drones bolstered SAF operations around early 2024, while UN inquiries and media investigations have probed allegations that the United Arab Emirates supplied the RSF via airlifts through Chad—allegations the UAE denies. Russia’s connections have shifted: Wagner-linked networks were previously tied to RSF gold and arms dealings, even as a senior Russian envoy later signaled support for Sudan’s army. (reuters.com)
Humanitarian operations are straining. Following sweeping U.S. foreign-aid cuts this year, global agencies warned of program closures across East Africa. Reuters and the Guardian reported that more than 80% of USAID programs were terminated after a policy review; Save the Children said clinic closures in South Sudan have already contributed to preventable cholera deaths, illustrating spillover impacts on Sudanese displacement and regional response capacity. (reuters.com)
Aid leaders are pressing for concrete steps: sustained access to El Fasher; safe evacuation routes; scaled-up support in Tawila and other reception areas; an end to arms flows fueling the war; and accountability for atrocity crimes. The IRC has called Sudan the largest humanitarian crisis on its 2025 Watchlist and urged U.S. and international action to mitigate the catastrophe. UN investigators likewise urge enforcement of embargoes and support for justice mechanisms. (rescue.org)
While front lines have shifted elsewhere, Darfur’s civilians—particularly non-Arab communities historically targeted in past violence—remain at acute risk. Without swift, predictable access and funding, agencies warn that famine, disease and mass displacement from El Fasher and its hinterland will accelerate in the weeks ahead. (unicef.org)
