150 raped in Sudan while fleeing El-Fasher

An urgent humanitarian crisis is exploding in Sudan's North Darfur, with tens of thousands fleeing the city of El-Fasher amid reports of mass atrocities, prompting the UN rights chief to warn of "abominable" ethnically-motivated violence continuing inside the city.

The fall of El-Fasher to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Oct. 26, after a brutal 500-day siege, has triggered a wave of displacement and horrific violence. The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates more than 81,000 people have been displaced in just two weeks, fleeing on foot and by donkey cart along perilous escape routes.

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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Friday he fears that "summary executions, rape and ethnically motivated violence are continuing within the city," noting that many traumatized civilians remain trapped.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has also expressed "profound alarm" at reports of mass killings and rapes, confirming it is actively collecting evidence for its ongoing investigation into potential war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Survivors Recount Horror; 150 Rapes Reported

The dire warnings from international bodies are being confirmed by local monitors on the ground.

Adam Regal, a spokesman for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, told the Sudan Tribune on Friday that his group has documented more than 150 women subjected to rape and sexual harassment while trying to escape.

Regal stated that RSF militants hunted civilians along escape routes, detaining many near Qarni, where thousands remain stranded. His organization has also tallied a devastating human toll among the survivors:

• Over 1,300 people injured by gunfire.
• More than 1,210 children suffering from acute malnutrition.
• At least 700 elderly individuals in critical health condition.

Amnesty International has previously reported that the RSF's widespread use of sexual violence in the 19-month conflict appears to be a systematic "deliberate strategy to terrorize and destabilize communities," which amount to crimes against humanity.

Humanitarian Hub on Brink of Collapse

The primary destination for the few who escape is Tawila, a town 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of El-Fasher, which is now completely overwhelmed.

Regal reported that more than 15,000 survivors have arrived in Tawila, many in "poor health due to injuries and violence." This new influx has pushed the town, which was already hosting over 650,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), to a breaking point. Regal's group now estimates the total IDP population in Tawila has swelled to over 1 million.

The humanitarian situation was already catastrophic. An international food security analysis (IPC) declared El-Fasher to be in a state of famine before the final assault, with Tawila at high risk of famine.

An inter-agency UN mission led by OCHA, the humanitarian affairs office, recently visited Tawila and reported that new arrivals are "sleeping in the open without protection or sanitation facilities" and lack adequate food, water, or medical care. UNICEF, the UN children's agency, has already identified 65 unaccompanied or separated children who fled El-Fasher alone.

Regal issued an urgent plea for international aid, requesting life-saving medicine, food, water, shelter, and psychological support for civilians, especially children "traumatized by the horrific scenes they witnessed."

The 19-month war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 11.7 million people forced from their homes.