Escalating Displacement Crisis Grips El Fasher as Sudan's Civil War Intensifies
El Fasher, Sudan — Displacement camps around El Fasher, the last major government-held stronghold in North Darfur, are rapidly expanding as civilians flee intensified fighting in Sudan's ongoing civil war, which erupted on December 31, 2025. The severity of the humanitarian situation has been rated as high, with thousands seeking refuge amid relentless clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The war in Sudan, now in its third year, has already displaced over 10 million people internally and forced more than 2 million to flee to neighboring countries, according to United Nations estimates. El Fasher, a strategic city in the Darfur region, has become a focal point of the conflict, with recent escalations driving fresh waves of displacement. Camps such as Zamzam and Abu Shouk, long strained by overcrowding, are swelling further as families escape violence from both warring factions.
Surge in Camps Signals Worsening Humanitarian Emergency
Reports indicate that the displacement in El Fasher began intensifying around December 31, 2025, coinciding with renewed offensives. Civilians are fleeing artillery shelling, airstrikes, and ground assaults, exacerbating what the UN has described as one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. The camps, originally established during earlier phases of the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, now house hundreds of thousands, with malnutrition, disease outbreaks, and famine risks looming large.
International aid organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, have warned of catastrophic conditions. In late 2024, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) classified parts of Darfur, including areas around El Fasher, as being in Phase 5 famine conditions—the worst level—marking the first such declaration in Sudan. The latest displacements threaten to overwhelm already fragile aid delivery networks, hampered by RSF blockades and SAF restrictions.
A recent article from Serbian outlet Kurir.rs, titled "Rat u Sudanu i Etiopiji" (War in Sudan and Ethiopia), highlights the broader regional instability, linking Sudan's turmoil to tensions in neighboring Ethiopia. Published on January 6, 2026, it underscores how the Sudanese conflict is spilling over borders, complicating refugee flows and regional security.
Background: Sudan's Fractured Power Struggle
Sudan's civil war traces its roots to April 15, 2023, when long-simmering tensions between the SAF, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), exploded into open warfare in Khartoum. The two generals had previously shared power in a post-2019 transitional government following the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
The RSF, evolved from the Janjaweed militias accused of atrocities during the 2003-2020 Darfur genocide, controls much of western Sudan, including key gold mines that fund its operations. The SAF, backed by Egypt and Sudan’s Islamist allies, holds the capital and eastern regions. Fighting has devastated infrastructure, with Khartoum largely destroyed and Darfur reverting to ethnic violence reminiscent of the early 2000s, where over 300,000 died.
El Fasher's strategic importance lies in its position as the capital of North Darfur state and a hub for aid convoys. The RSF has encircled the city since April 2023, launching repeated assaults. In 2024, the UN Security Council urged a ceasefire, but violations persisted. Mediation efforts by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and the African Union have yielded fragile truces, none holding amid mutual accusations of war crimes.
The conflict has ethnic dimensions, with RSF-allied Arab militias clashing against non-Arab groups like the Zaghawa, who back the SAF. Reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International document mass killings, sexual violence, and looting, with both sides implicated.
Regional Ripples and International Response
The war's proximity to Ethiopia, grappling with its own Tigray aftermath and internal strife, raises fears of cross-border incursions. Ethiopian refugees in Sudan and Sudanese fleeing to Ethiopia strain resources, as noted in regional coverage. Chad and South Sudan also host Sudanese refugees, with the total displacement figure surpassing Ukraine's in scale.
The international community has pledged over $2 billion in aid for 2025, but delivery remains inconsistent. The U.S. imposed sanctions on RSF leaders in 2024, while the International Criminal Court investigates atrocities. On January 4, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing El Fasher's vulnerability.
Outlook: Path to Stability Elusive
As camps in El Fasher expand, the UN warns of a potential "humanitarian catastrophe" without urgent intervention. Upcoming Jeddah talks, hosted by Saudi Arabia and the U.S., offer a slim chance for de-escalation, but trust deficits persist. With the rainy season approaching, aid access could worsen, amplifying disease risks in overcrowded camps.
Sudan's war, intertwining power struggles, resource grabs, and historical grievances, shows no swift resolution. The people of El Fasher endure as collateral, their plight a stark reminder of the conflict's toll.
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