A city reentered after long isolation
For the first time in nearly two years, a small humanitarian team from the United Nations has entered the Sudanese city of El Fasher. The visit came months after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces following more than five hundred days of siege. What the team found was a deeply traumatized civilian population living in conditions that senior UN officials described as unsafe, precarious, and marked by extreme deprivation.
The short visit offered a rare and sobering glimpse into a city that has largely disappeared from the outside world amid ongoing conflict.
Living without water sanitation or security
According to Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, civilians remaining in El Fasher are living without access to clean water or proper sanitation. These basic services have collapsed, leaving families exposed to disease and worsening health risks. Many people are sheltering in damaged homes or improvised spaces after large parts of residential areas were destroyed.
Brown warned that daily life has become a struggle for survival. With infrastructure shattered and supply routes cut, residents face constant uncertainty about food safety and personal security.
A city described as a crime scene
Brown described El Fasher as resembling a crime scene, reflecting the scale of destruction and the trauma experienced by civilians. Entire neighborhoods lie in ruins, and many of the homes belonging to those who remain have been damaged or flattened. Once a city of more than a million people, El Fasher now holds an unknown number of residents, with displacement and deaths making accurate estimates difficult.
The emotional toll on survivors is immense. Many have endured months of shelling, hunger, and fear, leaving deep psychological scars alongside physical hardship.
Hunger and the shadow of famine
From a humanitarian perspective, El Fasher remains the epicenter of suffering in Sudan. The city continues to face famine conditions, with limited food supplies and few functioning markets. Families depend on whatever aid can reach them or on dwindling personal reserves.
Malnutrition is a growing concern, especially among children and the elderly. Without sustained humanitarian access, aid officials fear that hunger related deaths could rise further in the coming months.
Detention concerns and limited access
During the visit, the UN team was unable to see any detainees, although Brown said there are strong indications that people are being held. Investigations into possible abuses and detentions will be handled by human rights specialists, while humanitarian teams prioritize restoring aid to those still in the city.
The inability to verify detention conditions highlights the limits of the visit and the broader challenge of operating in areas controlled by armed groups.
Negotiating entry under tight constraints
Brown said the team had to negotiate intensely with the Rapid Support Forces to gain access to El Fasher. Even then, the visit lasted only a few hours. During that time, the team managed to tour parts of the city, visit an overwhelmed hospital, and inspect abandoned UN facilities.
Medical staff at the hospital are working under extreme pressure, treating patients with minimal supplies and little external support.
A conflict driving national catastrophe
Since April two thousand twenty three, Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has displaced millions and pushed large parts of the country into humanitarian crisis.
El Fasher’s suffering reflects the wider national tragedy, where civilians are caught between warring sides and basic services have collapsed.
A fragile step toward renewed aid
The UN visit to El Fasher marks a cautious first step toward reestablishing humanitarian assistance. While limited, it has confirmed the urgent need for sustained access, food aid, clean water, and medical support.
For the civilians who remain, survival depends on whether this initial opening leads to regular aid deliveries. The situation remains fragile, and without continued access, El Fasher risks slipping further into catastrophe.
