Sudan’s besieged city of El-Fasher in North Darfur is facing an imminent famine, with the United Nations warning of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe as hundreds of thousands remain trapped amid relentless fighting. Aid convoys have been blocked or attacked, leaving desperate residents to survive on animal feed and wild plants.
A City Under Siege
For 14 consecutive months, El-Fasher has been the epicenter of a brutal battle between Sudan’s army, allied forces, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city, once a refuge for nearly 900,000 people—many fleeing violence elsewhere in Sudan—is now a militarized zone, with civilians caught in the crossfire.
Residents describe horrific conditions, hiding from daily shelling while struggling to find food and clean water. “We are hungry, thirsty, barefoot, and naked,” one resident told reporters. “Shells and ammunition fall on us day and night. We only eat ombes (animal feed). Can anyone live on this?”
Collapsing Food Supplies
With supply routes cut off, food prices have skyrocketed. Traders report that basic goods are now measured in plates rather than kilograms due to extreme scarcity. Fuel shortages have paralyzed transportation, and those attempting to bring in food face deadly risks.
“We have no goods to trade, and random shelling prevents us from working,” a local trader said. “Anyone who tries to leave the city to bring supplies is arrested or killed.”
Famine Declared in Nearby Camps
The situation mirrors the devastating famine already confirmed in Zamzam displacement camp, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) previously recorded malnutrition rates of 30%—double the emergency threshold. Recent surveys indicate even worse conditions in El-Fasher, with malnutrition rates reaching 38%.
Jerome Tubiana, an MSF operational adviser, confirmed the crisis has spread to other camps near El-Fasher. “People are starving,” he said. “They’re eating residue from ground nuts, normally used for animal feed, and wild plants. It’s been like this for nearly a year.”
Disease and Desperation
As hunger worsens, cholera has broken out among the weakened population. MSF reported treating nearly 3,000 cases in just one month at a clinic in Tawila, where many displaced from El-Fasher have fled.
Despite international warnings, the siege continues, with no end in sight to the fighting. Humanitarian agencies struggle to deliver aid, leaving civilians to endure unimaginable suffering.
“The shells killed our children. Now they are orphans,” one grieving resident said. “We are living in a dire state—thirsty, hungry, and naked.”
With El-Fasher teetering on the edge of famine, the world watches as one of Sudan’s last major holdouts faces a humanitarian collapse.
