In the heart of Sudan, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding with a brutality and scale that is staggering even by the grim standards of recent global conflicts. The desert city of el-Fasher, once one of Darfur’s last strongholds against total collapse, has become the epicenter of violence, displacement, and despair. Over the past weeks, the city fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a siege that lasted more than 17 months, unleashing a wave of atrocities that has shocked observers and left thousands dead, according to the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab and corroborated by multiple international organizations.
Amnesty International, in a report released on November 25, 2025, accused the RSF of committing war crimes during their takeover of el-Fasher. The organization detailed harrowing testimonies from survivors, including the execution of dozens of unarmed men, the rape of women and girls, and the abduction of civilians for ransom. "This persistent and widespread violence against civilians constitutes war crimes and may also constitute other crimes under international law," stated Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General. The group’s researchers interviewed 28 survivors who managed to escape the city, painting a picture of systematic brutality: groups of men shot or beaten, women abducted and raped, and hundreds of abandoned corpses littering the streets and roads leading out of el-Fasher.
One particularly heart-wrenching case cited by Amnesty involved a woman and her 14-year-old daughter, both raped by RSF fighters while attempting to flee on October 27. The daughter’s health deteriorated rapidly, and she later died in a clinic in Tawila, a town that has become a refuge for those escaping RSF violence. Another woman recounted being among 11 abducted and raped by RSF fighters during their attempted escape. The scale of sexual violence, executions, and hostage-taking has led to widespread condemnation and demands for accountability.
The violence has not been confined to el-Fasher alone. On November 18, 2025, a Sudanese Ministry of Health paramedic was killed and four others wounded during a shooting at Zalingei Hospital, another critical medical facility in Darfur. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) responded by temporarily withdrawing its staff from the hospital, which operates in an area controlled by the RSF. The organization stated, "Our teams cannot resume humanitarian activities until the Rapid Support Forces guarantee safe conditions for the protection of personnel and patients." This marks the second time in recent months that the hospital has suspended operations, following a grenade explosion in August. The hospital’s closure leaves a gaping hole in emergency care, surgeries, and treatment of infectious diseases like measles and cholera—services desperately needed in a region ravaged by conflict.
The RSF itself is largely composed of fighters from the Arab Janjaweed militia, notorious for their role in the government-backed genocidal campaign in Darfur during the 2000s, which left some 300,000 dead. Now, as the RSF consolidates control over Darfur, accusations of mass executions, sexual violence, and attacks on hospitals have reignited international outrage. The Biden administration, in one of its last acts, declared that the RSF had committed genocide in Darfur, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The broader context is equally bleak. Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese army, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths—a figure widely believed by human rights organizations to be a significant underestimate. Over 14 million people have been displaced, and famine and disease threaten millions more. The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by the collapse of international aid efforts: the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), once the leading actor in Sudan’s humanitarian response, ended most of its lifesaving work in February 2025. According to the Los Angeles Times, this marked a turning point, symbolizing the retreat of traditional humanitarian champions from the field.
Efforts to broker peace have repeatedly faltered. As of late November 2025, neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF have formally accepted a U.S.-proposed truce plan. The RSF did announce a unilateral ceasefire on November 24, under international pressure following reports of atrocities, but the army quickly accused them of staging further attacks. U.S. envoy Massad Boulos described the army’s preconditions for peace as "impossible to achieve," while Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan criticized the U.S. proposal as the worst he’d seen, claiming it sidelined the army and legitimized the RSF. The United Arab Emirates, widely accused of arming the RSF, has denied these allegations, with diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash condemning what he called "disingenuous claims and misinformation campaigns."
Meanwhile, the scale and visibility of the violence have reached new extremes. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab reported that the bloodstains in el-Fasher are so extensive they can be seen from space via satellite imagery—a chilling testament to the magnitude of the killing. The World Health Organization has reported that at least 460 people were killed at a hospital in el-Fasher, with doctors and nurses abducted by gunmen. Grassroots humanitarians like Dr. Jamal Eltaeb, who has managed to keep Al Nao Hospital in Omdurman open against all odds, are among the few remaining lifelines for the civilian population. The Los Angeles Times highlighted Dr. Eltaeb’s work, noting that he was recently awarded the Aurora Prize and $1 million to help continue his efforts.
Yet, as the violence in Sudan intensifies, a broader debate has emerged about the future of humanitarianism itself. Some, like Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, argue that the world is entering an era of "inhumanitarianism," where the sense of mutual obligation has been eroded and institutional responses have failed. Afeyan contends that it is now up to grassroots humanitarians and individuals to revive the spirit of care and solidarity. “If inhumanitarianism is to be defeated—if we are to somehow avoid the next el-Fasher—it will start from the bottom up, with me, you and thousands of grassroots humanitarians around the world declaring our care for our fellow humans through our actions,” Afeyan wrote.
Others, including major international organizations and UN officials, maintain that only coordinated global action and institutional support can address crises of this scale. They argue that government funding, diplomatic engagement, and large-scale responses remain essential, especially for preventing famine and disease outbreaks. The World Food Programme and partner UN agencies emphasize that while local heroes are indispensable, the scale of need in Sudan requires a level of international coordination that individuals alone cannot provide.
As the dust settles over el-Fasher and the wider Darfur region, the fate of millions hangs in the balance. The world is confronted with a stark choice: retreat further into isolation and inaction, or rally behind both grassroots and institutional humanitarian efforts to prevent the next tragedy. For now, those on the ground—doctors, aid workers, and ordinary citizens risking their lives to help others—remain the last line of defense against the tide of inhumanity sweeping across Sudan.
