A renewed wave of displacement in Sudan has seen over 50,000 people flee intense clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of El Fasher, North Darfur. According to local media, these individuals embarked on a harrowing journey on foot to the town of Tawila, over 60 kilometers west of El Fasher, under scorching temperatures exceeding 40°C. Many succumbed to hunger and thirst along the way.
The displaced are now living in dire conditions in Tawila and other towns across Darfur. According to Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, 991 people died in Darfur between April 15 and May 15 due to starvation and disease. “The displaced in Tawila are starving, with children crying from hunger,” Rijal told Asharq Al-Awsat, noting the town’s lack of basic life necessities. Efforts are being made to shelter the displaced through local charitable support.
Eyewitnesses reported the tragic plight of those fleeing the conflict, exacerbated by extreme heat. Some elderly and sick individuals were fortunate enough to find transport on donkey-drawn carts known as “Karos” to reach Tawila.
The journey is perilous, with displaced persons at risk of robbery by armed gangs. “The lucky ones are those who arrive in Tawila alive and unscathed,” witnesses said.
Human rights activist Adam Idris stated that stray shells have killed hundreds in El Fasher, forcing many to flee to Tawila and areas in Jebel Marra under the control of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur.
Idris highlighted that some displaced people perished from hunger and thirst before completing their arduous journey, urging humanitarian organizations to expedite aid delivery to those in need.
El Fasher, once a refuge since the war between the army and RSF began in April 2023, has now become a battleground. The Justice and Equality Movement, led by Gibril Ibrahim, and the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Arko Minnawi, have abandoned neutrality to fight alongside the army, prompting RSF to besiege El Fasher.
In June, the UN Security Council called on RSF to lift the siege on El Fasher and urged all warring parties to cease hostilities immediately. International human rights and humanitarian organizations have accused both the army and RSF of obstructing humanitarian aid. A report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, compiled by UN agencies and partners, warned that famine threatens over 14 regions in Sudan, with Darfur at the top of the list due to ongoing conflict hindering aid delivery.
Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that the number of registered Sudanese refugees in Egypt surpassed 402,000, with over 38,000 arriving in May alone. Libya and Uganda have recently joined the Regional Refugee Response Plan, alongside the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
Despite the significant influx, only 19% of the required funds for the refugee response have been secured, insufficient to meet the most urgent needs. In Libya, over 20,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since April, with many settling in the eastern regions. Uganda, hosting the largest number of refugees in Africa, has seen over 39,000 Sudanese refugees arrive since the conflict began, including 27,000 this year alone—three times the expected number.
Fourteen months into the war, thousands continue to flee Sudan, escaping extreme violence, rights abuses, and disrupted services, with famine looming on the horizon.
