IOM says over 7,000 more civilians fled city after RSF takeover

More than 7,000 civilians have fled the city of El-Fasher in western Sudan, bringing the total number of displaced people to nearly 89,000 since the city’s takeover by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.

The UN agency said its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) showed that 7,075 additional people were displaced from El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, between Nov. 5 and 8 due to the worsening insecurity in the area.

It said the displaced civilians have fled to multiple localities, including Tawila, Mellit, and Saraf Omra in North Darfur.

IOM said that around 88,892 people have so far fled the city since the RSF takeover of El-Fasher on Oct. 26.

The agency reported severe insecurity along roads, which could hamper the movement of civilians, warning that the situation remains tense and volatile.

On Oct. 26, the RSF seized control of El-Fasher and committed ethnic-based massacres, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the country’s geographical partition.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others. (AA)