The cold, hungry reality of displacement in war-torn Sudan’s Tawila | Sudan war News
Fleeing Conflict: Thousands Escape El-Fasher as Violence Escalates
EL-FASHER, Sudan — Montaha Omer Mustafa, 18, was among many who managed to flee El-Fasher before the city was overtaken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Her escape involved paying for passage and enduring days of travel on foot with limited access to water, traversing through villages and scrubland.
As fighting intensified around the last major city controlled by the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in North Darfur, tens of thousands of residents evacuated westward, leaving behind their homes and possessions, and in some cases, family members.
The exodus from El-Fasher occurred rapidly in October. “Armed men stole everything of value—gold, cash, and food,” Mustafa recounted from the Tawila refugee camp, located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of El-Fasher. During her perilous journey, her brother vanished, prompting an unsuccessful search before she was forced to continue without him.
Three refugees shared their accounts with Al Jazeera, detailing their escape from a city that has faced bombardment and siege. Their arrival at the Tawila camp has strained already limited resources, as the influx of newcomers has pushed facilities to the brink of collapse.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described what remains in El-Fasher as a “ghost town,” following a visit in January. The organization indicated a grim outlook, suggesting that many civilians who survived the RSF takeover have either been killed or displaced.
According to the International Organization for Migration, over 120,000 people fled El-Fasher, with approximately 75 percent already being internally displaced individuals seeking refuge in the city. The World Food Programme estimates that between 70,000 and 100,000 people remain trapped in El-Fasher.
Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale’s School of Public Health, recounted a rare call from someone still in the city last year. The individual described dire conditions, having run out of food and water, and reported bodies scattered throughout the streets.
The RSF launched a significant offensive to capture El-Fasher in late 2022, following a siege lasting nearly 18 months. Despite resistance from fighters still in the city, the RSF’s takeover has been marked by allegations of severe abuses against non-Arab populations, particularly those from the Zaghawa and Fur tribes.
On January 19, the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court told the UN Security Council that the RSF had committed war crimes during the El-Fasher capture, noting a “calculated campaign of the most profound suffering” targeting specific ethnic groups.
Marwan Mohammed, an activist at the Tawila refugee camp, reported that recent escapees described the conditions in El-Fasher as the most horrific they had seen, with numerous corpses present in the streets. Satellite images analyzed by Yale revealed systematic RSF actions to conceal evidence of mass killings.
An investigation by Sudan Tribune indicated the presence of suspected mass graves in El-Fasher, as well as secret detention centers where the RSF is alleged to have committed grave human rights violations.
While RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo acknowledged that abuses occurred in October, many activists and rights groups view his statements with skepticism. Mohamed Badawi, a human rights activist monitoring Darfur, noted the emergence of a war economy in the city, where RSF fighters impose high fees for goods entering El-Fasher. He remarked that the first aid convoy to reach the city since mid-2024 only arrived in January.
“People are paying from $500 to as much as $1,600 for safer passage,” Badawi said, highlighting the financial burden on many residents, who increasingly struggle to pay for their escape.
Displaced individuals continue to face significant hardships in the Tawila camp, where they embark on a days-long journey from El-Fasher trecking through multiple RSF checkpoints. There, they join an estimated 1.4 million displaced individuals within an extensive network of camps.
Long recognized as a refuge from violence in North Darfur, Tawila sadly offers little solace to those in need. Mustafa, who lost her brother during the escape, expressed the dire conditions: “We do not have mattresses to sleep on, or blankets to cover ourselves. We lack food, and getting water is extremely difficult.”
Zahra Mohamed Ali Abakar, 29, who fled El-Fasher months prior, echoed similar sentiments, stating: “We sleep on the ground and under the sky. There are no tents; people are using sacks for shelter.”
The Sudan Doctors Network warned in October of severe shortages in Tawila’s health infrastructure, citing a lack of medicines, suitable food for children, and safe drinking water. Conditions have not improved significantly since their initial warning, according to local activist Mohammed.
Abdalla Ahmed Fadul Abu-Zaid, who escaped El-Fasher after suffering an injury from RSF shelling, expressed frustration with the limited aid received since his arrival in Tawila. “We have received help only twice, and my children and I are suffering a lot,” he said.
As violence continues to disrupt life in both El-Fasher and surrounding areas, the humanitarian situation remains precarious for those caught in the conflict.
