A total of 3,240 families — about 16,200 people — have escaped to the nearby town of Tawila in western Sudan, the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees said on Saturday.
The group said the displaced urgently need food, medicine, clean water, shelter materials, sanitation, and psychological support, warning that their conditions are worsening as basic needs rise.
The RSF seized El-Fasher on Oct. 26, with rights organizations accusing the group of killing civilians and committing mass atrocities.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday that malnutrition among displaced civilians has sharply increased, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that more than 81,000 people have fled El-Fasher and nearby areas since the takeover.
The UN Human Rights Office in Sudan said the city has become “a city of grief” as brutal attacks continue, trapping civilians and leaving them exposed to “atrocities of an unimaginable scale.”
“Hundreds have been killed, including women, children, and the wounded who sought safety in hospitals and schools,” said Li Fung, the UN Human Rights Representative in Sudan. “Entire families were cut down as they fled. Others have simply vanished.”
Fung said thousands have been detained, including medical staff and journalists, adding that sexual violence remains widespread. “There are no safe routes to leave El-Fasher,” she said. “The elderly, disabled, and wounded face serious protection risks.”
She described the situation as “a systematic assault on human life and dignity” and said the UN is documenting violations despite communication disruptions and limited access.
“We continue to bear witness, raise survivors’ voices, and press for accountability,” Fung said. “El-Fasher is bleeding and the time to act is now. Civilians must be protected, and victims must receive assistance and redress.”
Local civil groups reported that more than 150 women were raped or sexually harassed while fleeing El-Fasher.
Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, said RSF militants chased civilians along escape routes and detained some near Qarni, where thousands remain trapped.
He said over 1,300 people were injured by gunfire, more than 1,200 children are malnourished, and around 700 elderly individuals are in critical condition.
Regal added that over 15,000 survivors have reached Tawila, many suffering from injuries and trauma, and called for urgent humanitarian aid including medicine, food, water, and shelter.
Tawila now hosts more than one million displaced people, according to Regal, who warned that the situation demands immediate international assistance.
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan’s army and the RSF have been at war — a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions, with no successful regional or international mediation to date.