Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, is under a brutal 14-month siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving its 900,000 residents trapped in a militarized zone with dwindling food supplies.
The Sudanese army, alongside the Darfur Joint Protection Force, is struggling to hold the city, the last major stronghold in Darfur not under RSF control.
The RSF’s blockade has cut off food and fuel, forcing residents to resort to eating animal feed like ambaz, made from peanut shells, which is now scarce.
Shelling and drone attacks occur daily, emptying streets and markets, with civilians killed in both residential and commercial areas.
Many residents attempting to escape al-Fashir face violent attacks en route to safer areas like Tawila, 60 km west, where over 500,000 displaced people are now sheltering.
Fleeing residents report RSF fighters stealing possessions, including phones, money, and livestock, with some witnessing killings and abductions.
Tawila offers little relief, with only 10% of residents having reliable water access and most surviving on one meal or less daily, worsened by the rainy season and a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 52 people since mid-June.
Humanitarian aid is severely restricted, with RSF attacks on convoys preventing food and medical supplies from reaching al-Fashir.
Medecins Sans Frontieres reported treating 2,500 cholera cases, but vaccines are delayed due to logistical challenges.
The collapse of Zamzam camp, 12 km south of al-Fashir, has exacerbated the crisis, displacing half a million people and closing the last supply route.
The United Nations’ call for a humanitarian pause was rejected by the RSF, leaving al-Fashir’s residents in a deepening famine, with malnutrition rates described as catastrophic.