The city of el-Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region has been rendered a desolate wasteland, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which gained rare access to the area for the first time since February 2025. During a four-hour assessment on January 15, MSF personnel witnessed extensive devastation throughout the regional capital, characterizing it as ‘largely destroyed’ and ’emptied of the communities that once inhabited it.’
The humanitarian organization reported that the city now resembles a ghost town, with minimal civilian presence remaining after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the strategic location in October following a 550-day siege. Although MSF described the visit as too brief for comprehensive evaluation, it provided alarming evidence of the massive scale of destruction and population displacement that occurred during the military takeover.
Survivors who managed to escape el-Fasher have provided harrowing accounts to various media and humanitarian organizations, detailing widespread atrocities including systematic massacres, mass rape incidents, and extensive looting perpetrated by RSF forces. Middle East Eye has corroborated these reports through analysis of footage showing RSF fighters specifically targeting civilians attempting to flee the conflict zone.
The human cost of the siege has been catastrophic. Prior to the RSF offensive, approximately 260,000 residents were trapped within the city under siege conditions. Current estimates from the UN’s World Food Programme suggest between 70,000 to 100,000 individuals may remain trapped within the devastated urban center. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab has further estimated that the RSF disposed of tens of thousands of bodies through burning or burial following their seizure of the city.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to expand geographically, with RSF recently launching new offensives in Sudan’s Blue Nile state, even as the Sudanese Armed Forces managed to break a two-year siege on the southern city of Dilling. The broader national conflict, which erupted in April 2023 over disputes regarding the integration of RSF into the regular military, has reportedly resulted in over 150,000 fatalities and displaced approximately 14 million people nationwide.