The UN called el-Fasher a "crime scene" after teams gained access for the first time since the RSF captured the city on Oct. 26, finding mass displacement, signs of atrocities and a city largely emptied of residents. UNICEF reported alarmingly high child malnutrition in North Darfur, with 53% of 500 children screened acutely malnourished and one in six severely affected. Independent research and satellite imagery suggest systematic efforts to erase evidence of killings, while renewed offensives risk closing escape routes into Chad amid a wider conflict that has killed over 100,000 and displaced millions.
UN Labels El-Fasher A 'Crime Scene' After First Access Since RSF Takeover
Displaced Sudanese woman and child walk through the el-Afadh camp in al-Dabbah, Northern state, November 13, 2025 [Marwan Ali/AP Photo]
The United Nations described the northern Sudanese city of el-Fasher as a "crime scene" after UN teams entered the city for the first time since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control on Oct. 26. International aid workers, who reached the city after weeks of negotiation, found a largely emptied urban area with clear signs of mass atrocities and severe humanitarian needs.
What UN Teams Found
UN staff reported seeing "very few people" during an hours-long visit. Those who remained were sheltering in vacant buildings or under rudimentary plastic sheeting; a small market was operating but offered mainly locally grown vegetables. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown said: "We have photos of people, and you can see clearly on their faces the accumulation of fatigue, of stress, of anxiety, of loss."
Child Malnutrition And Public Health
UNICEF warned of an "unprecedented level" of child malnutrition across North Darfur. In Um Baru locality this month, 53% of 500 children screened were found to be acutely malnourished, and one in six of those children suffered severe acute malnutrition — a life-threatening condition that can be fatal within weeks if untreated.
Evidence Of Mass Killings And Efforts To Hide Them
A December report from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab documented what it described as a systematic RSF campaign to remove, burn or bury human remains to hide evidence of mass killings. Satellite imagery reviewed by researchers indicated that by late November about 72% of clusters consistent with human remains had shrunk and 38% were no longer visible.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported that more than 200 people, including women and children, were killed on ethnic grounds in Ambro, Serba and Abu Qumra during an RSF offensive in the Dar Zaghawa area starting Dec. 24 — attacks that could close a last escape route for civilians seeking refuge in Chad.
Displacement And Wider Conflict Context
More than 100,000 residents fled el-Fasher after the RSF seized the city following an 18-month siege. An estimated 107,000 people have been displaced from el-Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, with about 72% remaining within North Darfur. In total, 1.17 million people originally from el-Fasher are now displaced — roughly 13% of Sudan’s internally displaced population.
The larger conflict, which began in April 2023 with a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced around 14 million, including some 4.3 million who have fled to neighboring countries. El-Fasher’s fall removed the SAF’s last major stronghold in Darfur and helped the RSF consolidate control across the region, with fighting spreading into Kordofan and effectively splitting the country.
International Response And Humanitarian Access
UN Secretary-General António Guterres renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, describing the situation as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN has also been forced to halve its 2026 appeal after funding cuts from key donors. The U.S. State Department expressed concern about rhetoric from SAF leadership favoring military solutions and urged Sudan’s leaders to seek a path toward peace.
Denise Brown said the recent visit was intended to assess whether el-Fasher could be safely accessed to deliver basic supplies, but she warned that serious concerns remain about injured people who were not seen during the visit and about those who may be detained.
Key Figures: Over 100,000 fled el-Fasher after Oct. 26; 53% of 500 children screened in Um Baru acutely malnourished; more than 100,000 killed and 14 million displaced in the wider war.
