In western Sudan, the number of people fleeing el-Fasher and its surrounding villages in North Darfur in search of safety is rising.

As of Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration estimated that 81,817 people have been displaced in the area – most on foot – since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city on October 26, ending an 18-month siege and driving out the Sudanese army.

Many of the displaced have sought refuge in different parts of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, and in the nearby town of Tawila.

Thousands of people inside the city are feared to have been killed since the RSF took control.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have confirmed numerous accounts from survivors reporting that RSF fighters have carried out mass executions, torture, rape and sexual abuse and have held people for ransom. Famine is spreading while outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diseases continue to rise.

More than 9.5 million people displaced

According to the UN, Sudan is facing the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis with more than 9.5 million people internally displaced across 10,929 locations in 185 localities, spanning all 18 states of Sudan.

Most of the displaced have sought refuge in South Darfur (1.84 million), North Darfur (1.75 million) and Central Darfur (978,000). More than half, or 51 percent, of those displaced are children under the age of 18.

Sudan’s civil war between Sudan’s military and the RSF began on April 15, 2023, and both sides have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The RSF has also been implicated in atrocities in Darfur that the UN said may amount to genocide.

Even before the current war began, the International Organization for Migration estimated that more than 2.32 million people had already been displaced in Sudan, mostly in Darfur, due to years of conflict and climate-driven crises.

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Since April 2023, an additional 7.25 million people have been displaced within Sudan, including around 2.7 million from Khartoum State, 2 million from South Darfur and a similar number from North Darfur.

More than 4.3 million refugees

In addition to 9.58 million internally displaced people, an estimated 4.34 million have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees, bringing the total number of displaced across Sudan to 14 million – more than a quarter of the country’s 51 million population.

Most have sought refuge in Egypt (1.5 million), South Sudan (1.25 million) and Chad (1.2 million). Of those who fled, about 70 percent are Sudanese nationals while 30 percent are non-Sudanese.