Mon Mar 17 06:02:58 UTC 2025: ## El-Fasher Under Siege: Civilians Shelter as Sudanese Conflict Intensifies

**El-Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan (March 17, 2025)** – The Sudanese city of El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur under government control, is facing a brutal siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Civilians are digging makeshift bunkers to survive relentless shelling and drone strikes in a conflict the UN Secretary-General has called a “crisis of staggering scale and brutality.”

For nearly two years, the RSF and the Sudanese Army have been locked in a devastating war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. While the Army regained control of much of Khartoum earlier this year, the RSF has intensified its assault on El-Fasher, a strategically important city due to its control over vital gold resources. The RSF’s attempts to capture the city are fueled by its desire to secure these resources, a point underscored by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Residents describe a desperate struggle for survival. Nafisa Malik, a mother of five, shelters her children in a cramped hole, while Mohammed Ibrahim, 54, recounts the loss of neighbors and the terror experienced by his family. Even the city’s dwindling medical facilities, such as the Saudi Hospital, have constructed underground shelters to continue operating during attacks. The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University has corroborated these accounts using satellite imagery, documenting widespread damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

The Army’s defense of El-Fasher is heavily reliant on the support of the Zaghawa, a non-Arab ethnic group who see the city’s fall as an existential threat. Their involvement in the conflict has raised concerns about potential reprisal attacks should the RSF succeed in capturing El-Fasher. This strategic battle leaves the Army in a difficult position: continue defending the city at a devastating human cost, or risk losing a vital stronghold that could dramatically alter the war’s trajectory.

The situation is further complicated by a severe humanitarian crisis. Famine has been declared in three displacement camps near El-Fasher, with projections indicating its spread to five more areas, including the city itself, by May. The blockade imposed by the RSF has severely hampered aid delivery, leading to skyrocketing prices and a dire lack of essential supplies. The World Food Programme has warned of catastrophic consequences if aid access continues to be restricted. The African Union has expressed concern that Sudan risks partition amidst the escalating conflict. Experts like Marc Lavergne of the University of Tours highlight the difficulty the RSF faces in capturing the well-entrenched Army in El-Fasher, emphasizing the intense strategic importance of the city’s outcome.

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