Over 107,000 flee Sudan's El-Fasher as fighting engulfs key Darfur city

The fall of a major city in Sudan's Darfur region has triggered a massive new wave of displacement, with over 107,000 civilians fleeing escalating violence. According to data released by the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday, an estimated 107,294 people were forced to leave El-Fasher and surrounding villages between October 26 and December 8, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of the area amid rapidly deteriorating security.

A Population Already Traumatized by Displacement

The IOM's preliminary figures indicate that the vast majority of those fleeing—approximately 75%—were already internally displaced persons (IDPs). These individuals had initially sought refuge in major camps like Zamzam and Abu Shouk or within El-Fasher's neighborhoods during earlier phases of the conflict, only to be uprooted once more. This pattern underscores the compounding nature of the crisis, where civilians are caught in a cycle of displacement with no durable safe havens. Most of the newly displaced remain within North Darfur state, while around 19% have fled to neighboring states.

A Critical Flashpoint in a Broader War

El-Fasher is the last major city in the Darfur region that had not been under full RSF control, making its capture a significant strategic gain for the paramilitary group. The fighting in and around the city is part of a broader nationwide war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF that began in April 2023. The conflict has now killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and a looming famine.

Warnings of a Worsening Catastrophe

The IOM emphasized that its figures are preliminary and subject to change as the "highly volatile and tense" situation evolves. The agency issued a stark warning that increasing movement restrictions and persistent insecurity are severely limiting the mobility of civilians, potentially trapping populations in conflict zones and altering established displacement routes. With the RSF now controlling most of Darfur and the army holding much of the rest of the country, the prospects for a swift end to the fighting or safe returns appear increasingly remote.