More than 36,000 individuals have fled to Tawila, adding to over 652,000 people already displaced, as violence intensifies across North Darfur. The United Nations and humanitarian agencies warn of a rapidly deteriorating crisis, characterised by mass killings, sexual violence, widespread displacement, and the collapse of essential services1.
Reports indicate that nearly 500 patients and their companions were killed at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, one of several health facilities targeted in the conflict. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed repeated attacks on medical centres and the abduction of six health workers, noting that El Fasher is now largely inaccessible, leaving the injured without critical assistance1.
The humanitarian response remains critically underfunded, with the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan financed at only 27.4% and health sector support at 37%, compelling local organisations to operate under severe resource constraints. Civilians trapped in El Fasher continue to
face executions, sexual assault, and ethnically motivated violence, with no secure means of evacuation1.
While the RSF reportedly agreed to a ceasefire on Thursday, 6th November 2025, facilitated by the United States and Arab nations, the Sudanese national army has not endorsed the agreement, and fighting persists, including reports of explosions in government-controlled areas of Khartoum2.
UN officials have cautioned that the current crisis echoes the atrocities of early 2000s Darfur, marked by widespread impunity. Women, children, and the elderly fleeing the city are exposed
to extortion, sexual violence, and other forms of harm along perilous routes. Humanitarian teams in Tawila report traumatised arrivals, many exhibiting severe malnutrition, while over 24 million people in Sudan face food insecurity3.
The conflict is also creating a regional humanitarian strain, as more than four million individuals have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, further challenging aid operations and destabilising already fragile border regions. UN officials emphasise the urgent need for swift action to halt atrocities, guarantee safe humanitarian access, and stop the flow of arms sustaining the conflict3.
Bassmala Morkaz (Human Rights Defender)
11th November 2025