A United Nations humanitarian mission has revealed alarming and deteriorating conditions in el-Fasher, the western Darfur city that came under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October 2025, marking the first UN visit since the takeover. According to the UN, the city once home to hundreds of thousands now shows severely damaged infrastructure, abandoned neighbourhoods and desperate survival conditions for the few civilians remaining.
UN officials reported that only a small number of civilians were visible, with many others believed to be detained, injured or displaced. Those still in the city were living in makeshift shelters with virtually no access to clean water, sanitation, medicines or adequate food supplies, fuelling fears of further suffering. Food prices were reported as extremely high, and basic health and education services have collapsed.
The mission’s findings add to growing evidence of a broader pattern of atrocities and humanitarian neglect across conflict zones in Sudan’s long-running civil war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces. Surrounding villages appeared empty, and entire communities have been uprooted as civilians flee violence or succumb to dire conditions. The UN emphasised the urgent need for expanded humanitarian access and assistance to reach those trapped without essential support.
