The humanitarian conditions in El Fasher, Sudan, have reached tragic proportions since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023.

Prices of essential goods have continued to soar – according to Sudanese reports, a sack of groundnut cake now costs 200,000 Sudanese pounds, a quarter-sack of millet 400,000, a jerrycan of cooking oil 100,000, and a kilogram of sugar 140,000 – deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Amid worsening conflict, media sources report that elements of the Sudanese army have been forcibly preventing hundreds of families from fleeing El Fasher. Army units reportedly move through various neighborhoods to deter civilians from attempting to leave, even as the humanitarian situation grows more severe by the day, prompting grassroots mobilization to rescue trapped civilians in the capital of North Darfur.

Difficult Displacement

As living conditions become “unbearable” and essential services collapse, civilians are undertaking harrowing journeys to escape, often under perilous circumstances. A displaced resident told Darfur 24 Newspaper that dozens of families have begun fleeing El Fasher from behind the “Super Camp” area in the city’s northwest, hiring donkey carts for roughly 120,000 pounds to reach the northern village of Hilla Al-Sheikh. There, they are subjected to inspection by the army and allied joint forces from armed movements.

However, the same displaced person noted that RSF units now secure the route between Hilla Al-Sheikh and Qarni to prevent looting by highway robbers, following continued reports of theft targeting fleeing civilians, mainly mobile phones and cash.

Safe Corridors

Previously, Darfur’s Governor and member of the Presidential Council of the Peace and Unity Government, El-Hadi Idris Yahya, announced an official plan to open secure humanitarian corridors.

In an urgent appeal, he called on the people of El Fasher to move toward the Qarni area within 48 hours for evacuation to safer zones.

Given the “critical and volatile” security situation, Idris affirmed that protection forces are “ready and present” in Qarni to facilitate safe evacuations. “We are making every effort to ensure your departure from these dangerous areas to places of greater safety,” he said.

The Founding Coalition Forces – which include the RSF, the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council, and the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces – have pledged to protect displaced civilians in El Fasher. Thousands of families have already been evacuated under their coordination.

These forces remain committed to delivering humanitarian aid in safe shelters, in line with their stated national and humanitarian responsibilities toward the Sudanese people, until the country is fully liberated.