Famine devastates Sudan’s El Fasher after RSF takeover

Shafaq News – Khartoum

Famine has gripped the war-torn city of El Fasher in North Darfur after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control last week, ending an 18-month siege that starved hundreds of thousands of civilians and left the city in ruins.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared full famine in El Fasher and in Kadugli, South Kordofan — the first urban famine designations in Sudan’s modern history. The IPC warned that residents face “catastrophic food insecurity,” with starvation, disease, and total service collapse engulfing the besieged city.

Humanitarian agencies estimate that at least 36,000 people fled El Fasher in recent days, many walking for days toward nearby towns already overwhelmed with displaced families.

Survivors accuse RSF fighters of executing civilians, looting homes, and committing sexual violence during and after the city’s fall. Rights groups released footage showing RSF commander “Abu Lulu,” known locally as the “Butcher of El Fasher,” boasting about killing more than 2,000 people. The Sudanese government has since branded the RSF a terrorist group and accused it of war crimes.

The siege of El Fasher had already trapped more than 800,000 civilians since mid-2023, cutting off food, fuel, and medical supplies. The World Health Organization reported that over 460 patients and health workers were killed in October when RSF forces stormed a maternity hospital.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Sudan’s war is “spiraling out of control,” urging both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to halt the fighting and open humanitarian corridors. France, the United States, and several African states have echoed those calls, while international scrutiny intensifies on the United Arab Emirates over its alleged support for the RSF.

Since April 2023, Sudan’s conflict between the SAF and RSF has displaced more than 10 million people and killed tens of thousands.