Khartoum / PNN /

The state of North Darfur in Sudan is experiencing a disastrous humanitarian situation following the takeover of its capital, Al‑Fashir, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had been besieging the city — the last stronghold of the Sudanese Army in the Darfur region — for approximately 18 months.

Continuous fighting has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes in search of safety under extremely difficult conditions.

Reports from international organisations indicate that Al-Fashir witnessed widespread violations against civilians after the RSF gained control, prompting condemnations from the United Nations and human-rights groups of the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

UN- and agency-monitored scenes show harrowing accounts of displaced persons who arrived in the town of Al Dubah in northern Darfur after a grueling week-long journey. There, roughly 4,000 families are residing in a temporary holding area lacking the most basic services, and each day an additional 10 to 20 families arrive from Darfur and Kordofan.

Activists say that most of the fleeing families from Al-Fashir walked hundreds of kilometres or travelled via rudimentary means, amid acute shortages of food, water and health care.

The state’s Humanitarian Relief Commission, in cooperation with local and international partners, is preparing new camps to accommodate the increasing influx of internally displaced persons.

Despite the limited assistance provided by some regional organisations, humanitarian needs are rising sharply, especially with expectations of large numbers of new arrivals in the coming days.

The RSF reportedly captured Al-Fashir last Sunday, marking a serious military development that triggered the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians toward safer areas in the north and west.

According to UN estimates, the town of Tawila—roughly 70 km from Al-Fashir, which was already hosting about 650,000 displaced people—has recently taken in additional numbers beyond its capacity.

Observers warn that Darfur stands on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with ongoing fighting and expanding RSF control, amid mounting international inability to halt violations or protect civilians.