Thousands Feared Trapped in El‑Fasher After RSF Seizure as Few Reach Tawila Camp

Thousands feared trapped in el‑Fasher after Rapid Support Forces seize city

Only a few thousand people have reached the nearest displacement camp since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of el‑Fasher, aid workers say, raising grave concerns for tens of thousands who may still be trapped inside the city.

Displacement and casualties

The RSF captured large parts of western Darfur last week after forcing out Sudan's army from el‑Fasher, a city that had been besieged for 18 months. In the days after the takeover, civilians and aid workers circulated reports and videos alleging beatings, killings and sexual assaults by RSF fighters. The World Health Organization reported at least 460 people killed in the city's hospital.

The U.N. migration agency said it estimated more than 8,000 people were displaced from el‑Fasher over a single weekend, bringing the total to 70,894 people displaced since the RSF took control. However, fewer than 6,000 people have reached the closest camp in Tawila, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) away, according to Shashwat Saraf, Sudan director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which operates the site. Nearly 1,000 arrivals were recorded in the most recent three days.

Humanitarian conditions and survivor testimony

Aid workers report that many arrivals are disoriented, dehydrated and severely wounded. 'People arriving in the camp are mostly disoriented and dehydrated with bruises all over,' Saraf said. 'Sometimes they do not even remember their names — they have to be taken to the hospital and given IV fluids.' Survivors who walked to safety describe dodging gunmen and coming under fire as they fled.

'We feel that a lot of people are stuck in locations from where it is not safe for them to move, and they need to pay to move and they don’t have money to pay,' Saraf said, offering one explanation for why many may be unable to leave el‑Fasher.

Children and other vulnerable people

Saraf said roughly 170 unaccompanied children — some as young as three years old — reached Tawila without knowing the whereabouts of their relatives. Many arrived with older children or adults who were not family members, underscoring the breakdown of family protection and the urgent need for tracing and child-protection services.

Diplomacy, accusations and wider risks

In Cairo, Sudan's ambassador to Egypt, Imadeldin Mustafa Adawi, accused the RSF of committing war crimes in el‑Fasher and said Khartoum would not negotiate with the group. He urged the international community to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization and to take effective action beyond statements of condemnation.

Adawi also renewed accusations that the United Arab Emirates supplied arms to the RSF and said Abu Dhabi should not be involved in mediation. The UAE denies the allegations. At the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, senior UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash criticized the international community for earlier support of both Sudan's army and the RSF commanders, and said the UAE supports a three‑month humanitarian ceasefire and talks toward a civilian transitional government.

Analysts warn that the RSF's seizure of Darfur raises the possibility of renewed offensives toward central Sudan. The Sudan Doctor Network reported that RSF attacks on two camps sheltering displaced people in central Kordofan killed 12 people, including at least five children.

Context

The conflict between the RSF and Sudan's armed forces began in April 2023. U.N. figures estimate more than 40,000 people have been killed since the fighting started, although aid groups believe the real toll may be much higher. The war has displaced more than 14 million people nationwide and contributed to outbreaks of disease that have killed thousands.

What aid groups say is needed: safe corridors for civilians, increased humanitarian access and protection, child tracing and family reunification programs, and urgent medical and psychosocial support for survivors.

Reporting contributed by Associated Press writers in Dubai and Cairo. All figures reflect agency and aid-group statements cited in on‑the‑ground reports.