Trapped or Missing After El-Fasher's Fall: Sudanese Civilians Face Atrocities After Months of Siege and Starvation   

After more than 500 days under siege, the city of El-Fasher, Sudan, has now fallen, leaving civilians who had already been surviving on animal hides, wild plants, and umbaz — a groundnut cake typically used as livestock feed — facing an even more desperate fight for their lives amid reports of killings, abductions, and mass displacement..

In just days, more than 70,000 people of the estimated 250,000 still trapped in the city have fled El-Fasher and the surrounding villages. Yet only around 3,400 have reached Tawila, the main destination for those fleeing, leaving tens of thousands unaccounted for and prompting grave concern among humanitarian responders and human rights groups. 

A local volunteer warned days before the city fell: “What is happening in El Fasher today goes beyond tragedy and threatens to turn the city into a silent graveyard for the hungry and sick.” That was before communication went dark. What horrors are unfolding now inside El-Fasher remain largely unseen by the outside world, but stories trickling out speak of mass starvation, ransom, execution, and bodies left unburied.   

Mercy Corps Vice President for Africa, Melaku Yirga, says:   

"What we are witnessing in El Fasher is not an isolated tragedy but the unfortunate reality of a much larger crisis that the global community has largely turned away from. People have been cut off from food, water, and healthcare and forced into impossible choices: stay and risk starvation and violence, or flee — often on foot — through deadly routes with little access to safety, food, water, or medical care along the way and a grim chance of survival. 

“The crisis is already spilling far beyond El Fasher. Our teams are tracking movement toward El Obeid, Central Darfur, and South Darfur — all fragile areas with little capacity to absorb people arriving in this condition. In El Obeid, families are already arriving from conflict-affected towns like Bara, while others are fleeing El-Obeid out of fear.   

“Mercy Corps is scaling up its response in Kordofan, Central, and South Darfur by pre-positioning emergency teams, coordinating with partners, and expanding capacity to meet the anticipated influx of displaced people fleeing El Fasher and surrounding areas. But access remains a critical barrier. 

“We are calling for full, unimpeded humanitarian access in El Fasher, across Darfur, Kordofan, and all conflict-affected areas of Sudan. Civilians and aid workers must be protected. Those who choose to leave must be able to do so safely, while those who stay must be protected from harm. Urgent funding to support local responders and volunteers is critical to keep lifesaving aid moving and save lives during this critical moment.  

“We must not look away from the horrors unfolding in El Fasher and across Sudan. Silence only fuels the suffering and allows it to continue.  This is the moment for the world to act: to open access, protect civilians and humanitarian responders, and deliver the aid that can still save lives. The world cannot claim ignorance — only inaction.”  

Mercy Corps has worked in Sudan since 2004. Through our ongoing response across 18 states, we are working to meet urgent needs and support the community’s recovery. Our teams are providing cash and voucher assistance to displaced families, helping farmers increase food production, and supporting local markets to keep essential goods moving. We are also partnering with local responders through the Cash Consortium of Sudan to deliver lifesaving aid and strengthen community resilience in the face of one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. 

Notes to Editors   

• First-hand accounts reveal families walking 60–70km from El Fasher to Tawila, the primary destination for those fleeing. Most of those arriving are women, children, and the elderly — exhausted, traumatized, and starving. Many have reported seeing corpses and injured people along the roads. 
• A professor walked seven days to Tawila, passing over 30 bodies. He was kidnapped, stripped, and ransomed — only released after a relative paid SDG 2 million (USD 550).   
• A mother and two adult children escaped by donkey, walking for two days before paying USD 550, sent from a relative, to secure transport.    
• According to local responders, around 200 children have arrived in Tawila unaccompanied, urgently requiring family tracing, psychosocial support, and protection.   

• Satellite analysis from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (YHRL) has documented evidence suggesting extensive harm to civilians both inside El-Fasher and its exit routes. 

• Transportation out of El-Fasher has long been prohibitively expensive. As of September 2025, travel costs per passenger — largely controlled by informal or armed operators — ranged between SDG 250,000 and 1,250,000 (USD 70–350), leaving many families with no choice but to stay.  

• In recent days, previously available transport routes toward Central Sudan have become increasingly inaccessible, leaving some families stranded.   

Photos and B-roll (taken in April 2025) are available here  

Full first-hand accounts can be shared upon request. 

Mercy Corps spokespeople are available for interviews.