Archive · 29 Dec 2025
Al-Fashir deserted after paramilitary takeover, aid workers report
Aid workers recently visited al-Fashir, a city in Sudan, after it was taken over by a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces.
They found the city almost empty, with very few people left.
Many have fled, and those who remain are living in empty buildings or makeshift camps.
The city was under siege for 18 months before the takeover, which led to a famine.
The aid workers are worried about the people who are injured or missing.
They also found a small market with few items and a hospital with no supplies.
The U.N. is planning more visits to assess the situation and provide help.
Al-Fashir is largely deserted after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control, with very few people remaining.
Over 100,000 people have fled the city since late October following an 18-month siege that caused a famine.
U.N. staff described the city as a 'crime scene' with signs of removal of bodies and few signs of life.
The Saudi Hospital, site of a reported massacre of 460 people, had medical personnel but no supplies.
Aid workers are concerned about the injured, missing, and detained individuals, with plans for further assessments.
- Who
- International aid staff and U.N. officials
- What
- Deserted city with few signs of life after paramilitary takeover
- When
- Late October 2023 to December 2023
- Where
- al-Fashir, Sudan
- Why
- Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took control after an 18-month siege
- City
- al-Fashir
- Paramilitary Force
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
- Estimated Displaced
- 100,000+
- Siege Duration
- 18 months
- U.N. Visit Date
- December 22, 2023
- Hospital Massacre
- 460 people
- Current Population
- Very few, mostly sheltering in buildings or under plastic sheets
- Market Status
- Small market with few items, mainly locally grown vegetables