“Conflict in war-torn North Darfur state of Sudan has displaced around 15,000 families within a mere 48 hours, as marked by the International Organization for Migration of the United Nations,” said a spokesperson. The hostilities between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army, as well as their allied militias, were responsible for the majority of the displaced families, who fled mostly to places within the same area.
War in North Darfur Escalates as Famine Declared in Displacement Camps
Since April 2023, the war has killed tens of thousands and left over 12 million homeless, turning it into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, which includes both hunger and displacement. North Darfur alone has seen nearly 1.7 million people forcibly displaced and 2 million now severely hungry.
The town of Al-Malha, located in the northern part of Darfur, which is 200 kilometers away from the state capital, El-Fasher, has reportedly been captured by the RSF. The RSF’s attack took the lives of at least 45 innocent victims, while supporters of the rebel movement claimed to have killed up to 380 soldiers.
Al-Malha is a strategic urban center between Sudan and Libya, which is surrounded by the Sahara Desert. In a bid to reinforce control over Darfur, the RSF has had an army-allied coalition of armed groups called Joint Forces disrupt the vital supply lines from Chad and Libya since the previous year.
The humanitarian condition in North Darfur is getting worse, and that is why famine has been declared in three displacement camps located near El-Fasher. According to UN projections, by May 2025, this wave of the crisis will affect five more areas, among them the state capital.