A bleak picture has been painted by the Resistance Committees of El-Fasher regarding the humanitarian situation in the capital of North Darfur State, which has been under siege for a year and a half by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The committees noted that “the suspension of receiving donations due to the lack of goods has worsened the humanitarian and living crisis.
Catastrophic Conditions
Meanwhile, Sudanese Prime Minister Kamel Idris described the humanitarian situation in El-Fasher as “catastrophic and requiring urgent action to save lives and end the suffering of citizens.”
During his meeting with Luca Renda, the UNDP Resident Representative, Idris called on UN agencies to coordinate efforts between the Sudanese government and international organizations to mitigate the crisis in El-Fasher and other areas in North Darfur.
The meeting discussed ways to address the humanitarian situation in El-Fasher, alleviate citizens’ suffering, and strengthen government cooperation in delivering humanitarian aid and facilitating the work of international organizations.
Scarcity of Goods
Citizen Mohamed Musa told Mashaweer Platform that “the living, security, and health conditions in El-Fasher are extremely difficult. Food items are unavailable, and the few that exist are sold at very high prices, in addition to the health care crisis.”
He added that the deteriorating security situation has worsened the suffering of residents, making movement dangerous.
“Prices rise sharply and unexpectedly every day. A sack of sorghum has reached 11 billion Sudanese pounds, along with soaring prices of oil, meat, flour, and legumes.”
Deadly Epidemics
Musa explained that “residents of El-Fasher are living a real tragedy, which requires urgent solutions from both local and international communities, especially providing medicines and food for the citizens.”
He noted that daily shelling puts lives at risk of death and injury, while deadly diseases such as cholera are spreading, in addition to widespread malnutrition.
Calls to Lift the Siege
Since May 2024, the RSF has imposed a complete blockade on El-Fasher, preventing food and medicine from reaching more than 500,000 people living in dire humanitarian conditions.
The siege has led to the depletion of essential goods in city markets, including sugar, onions, flour, and lentils. Life-saving medicines have also largely disappeared, pushing the humanitarian crisis to dangerous levels.
The Sudanese government has called on the United Nations to intervene with its aircraft and convoys—under its direct supervision—to save the lives of El-Fasher’s residents and nearby communities.
At the same time, UN and international bodies have urged an end to the war to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe that could drive millions into famine and death due to food shortages, as the conflict—now in its 28th month—has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.
