As Sudan’s civil war enters its third year, the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced approximately 13 million people, according to the United Nations.
“The conflict has provoked the displacement of 13 million people, including 8.6 million internally displaced people and 3.8 million refugees,” said Abdourahouf Gnon-Konde of the UN Refugee Agency in an interview with AFP.
Since the war erupted on April 15, 2023, it has killed tens of thousands, pushed parts of Sudan into famine, and fractured the country into territories controlled by rival factions.
The stakes are particularly high in Darfur, where the RSF launched a new offensive last week to capture el-Fasher – the last key city in the vast western region still under army control.
The assault began on Thursday and continued until Sunday morning, targeting el-Fasher and nearby displacement camps, including Zamzam and Abou Shouk, both of which have been severely affected by famine.
The UN, quoting “credible sources”, reported that more than 400 people have been killed in the latest violence.
By Sunday, RSF forces claimed control over Zamzam. Since then, about 400,000 people have been displaced from the camp, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, reported that approximately 10,000 people fled to Tawila, nearly 70km (40 miles) west of el-Fasher, within 48 hours to escape shelling.
The war has divided Sudan, with the army holding the north and east, while the RSF controls much of Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.
Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, described the conflict as “the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time”, highlighting the widespread destruction, starvation, and sexual violence.
“Entire regions have been destroyed, hundreds of thousands of families are fleeing, millions of people are starving, and women and children are being subjected to the most horrific sexual violence,” she added.
Baerbock’s remarks came before an international conference in London on Tuesday to discuss the war’s devastating effect.
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated that civilians in Sudan are “trapped in a relentless nightmare of death and destruction” after two years of war.
A UN fact-finding mission warned that “the darkest chapters of this conflict have yet to unfold,” amid rising ethnic violence and reprisals across the country.
“As Sudan enters into its third year of conflict, we must reflect on the catastrophic situation in Sudan and honour the lives of all Sudanese who have been lost or changed forever,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the mission.