Italian
Sudan is sinking into an increasingly “apocalyptic” crisis, as defined by the German and British foreign ministers, with the fall of the city of Al-Fashir and the resulting carnage. The city, captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a bloody siege lasting 18 months, is described as a “death trap”
SUDAN. Satellite images and the few testimonies reveal a scene of horror: summary executions, rapes, assaults, looting, and kidnappings. The bodies of the victims have been abandoned in the streets, in university campuses, and at military sites. With the capture of Al-Fashir, the RSF now controls all five major cities of Darfur.
Doctors Without Borders’ alarm: “Widespread atrocities”
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has issued a dramatic appeal. Despite the United Nations estimating the exodus of over 65,000 people from Al-Fashir (which had a population of 260,000 at the end of August), only 5,000 people managed to reach MSF teams in the five days following the fall of the city.
Michel Olivier Lacharité, head of emergencies at MSF, expressed deep concern: “The arrival numbers don’t add up, while testimonies of large-scale atrocities are increasing. The most likely response, although frightening, is that they are being killed, blocked, and chased while trying to escape.”
The few survivors reported to the doctors gunshot wounds, fractures, and injuries from beatings. The testimonies include “mass murders, children shot in front of their parents, sexual violence, and kidnappings for ransom” both in the cities and along the escape routes.
The head of the RSF, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), announced an investigation into the actions of his men following the release of videos showing RSF fighters executing unarmed people in the city.
The humanitarian crisis and the childhood emergency
The conflict, which pits the RSF against the regular army of Khartoum led by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, has become the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis according to the UN. The United Kingdom has responded by providing an additional £5 million in aid, in addition to the £120 million already allocated.
Violence has devastating consequences for children. Edouard Beigbeder, Regional Director of UNICEF, reported that between June and December 2024, there were recorded more than 600 incidents of serious violations against children, with 80% consisting of killings and mutilations, including bombings that killed or injured children in Omdurman and in Khartoum State in January 2025.
In addition to violence, hunger poses a deadly risk. UNICEF estimates that by 2025 770,000 children under five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition, with the risk of famine extending to 17 additional locations.
Humanitarian organizations continue to call for continuous, unobstructed, and safe access for the delivery of lifesaving aid, which is made extremely difficult by checkpoints and restrictions.
