Survivors Fleeing Sudan’s El-Fasher Recount Terror and Bodies in Streets

In late October 2025, the city of El-Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region fell under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. Thousands of civilians have fled, sharing harrowing accounts of mass killings and devastation.

Mass Killings and Atrocities

Reports indicate that RSF fighters carried out mass executions, including the killing of over 400 individuals at the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher. Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab confirmed signs of atrocities, such as mass executions and bodies near hospitals. The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed militia, has faced mounting allegations of horrific violence, including a recent satellite analysis suggesting mass executions in El-Fasher.

Perilous Journeys to Safety

Survivors describe treacherous escapes from El-Fasher to towns like Tawila, approximately 70 kilometers west. The journey is fraught with danger, with roads littered with bodies of those who perished from hunger, thirst, or violence. Nazer Muhana Ali, a 20-year-old survivor, recounted a four-day trek through scrubland, enduring beatings and robbery by RSF fighters. He and his family subsisted on ombaz, a bitter peanut husk meant for animals, and drank rainwater to survive.

Humanitarian Crisis and International Response

The United Nations and aid agencies have expressed grave concern over the situation. Over 36,000 people have fled El-Fasher, but only a small number have reached aid centers, raising fears for those still trapped. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the RSF, has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and the displacement of 14 million people. U.N. leaders have called for urgent action, lamenting earlier inaction by the international community.

As the crisis unfolds, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and provide humanitarian assistance to the affected populations in Darfur.