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New MedGlobal Report “Surviving the Siege: Voices from El Fasher” Reveals Unbearable Conditions in Sudan’s Two-Year War
Sudanese fleeing El Fasher, Darfur, arriving in Northern State malnourished and traumatized
In just two years, the conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. MedGlobal, one of the leading humanitarian aid organizations providing direct medical services to war-affected people in Sudan, released a new report today featuring direct testimonies and data from displaced Sudanese who escaped the 500-day siege of El Fasher, Darfur.
“Blood is everywhere, and I smell death rather than life and hope,” as one woman described conditions in El Fasher. MedGlobal’s survey – including interviews of 149 household representatives and malnutrition screening conducted in late September in Sudan’s Northern State – reveals widespread exposure to violence, destroyed homes, almost no access to healthcare, and critical levels of malnutrition. The report provides an alarming glimpse of life under siege for those still trapped in the city, and a stark account of the dangerous and desperate journeys people have undertaken to escape.
Surviving the Siege: Voices from El Fasher describes:
- Pervasive violence. Four out of 5 people report never feeling safe in El Fasher, with 71% having witnessed or experienced violence against civilians.
- Severe shortages of food and water. Half of the respondents had no or not enough access to water, and around 75% never or rarely had food in El Fasher.
- “Critical” levels of malnutrition. MedGlobal’s nutrition screenings in Northern State show 27.5% of children under 18 months are acutely malnourished, while a staggering 60% of young women aged 15–19 are experiencing wasting.
- Widespread destruction of homes and health infrastructure. Almost all respondents (91%) report that their homes were damaged, destroyed, or looted before they left. Health facilities and personnel were also repeatedly targeted, leading to a mere 8% of respondents having regular access to health services in El Fasher.
500 days of siege warfare have pushed the inhabitants of El Fasher to the edge of survival. “Desperation has compelled people to undertake the dangerous journey north with no idea where they will live or how they will survive,” said Joseph Belliveau, MedGlobal’s Executive Director. “People only take such desperate measures when they are under extreme duress.” When describing life in El Fasher, respondents referred to “death,” “hunger and fear,” “killing and rape,” and “armed threats, beating, and humiliation,” demonstrating a population enduring severe and ongoing trauma.
Surviving the Siege: Voices from El Fasher is a stark reminder that Sudan is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, and that people living in El Fasher are at the epicenter of a war characterized by the targeting of civilians with violence and deliberate deprivation. The report calls on parties to the conflict and international actors with influence to end the siege and respect the cornerstone principle of international humanitarian law (IHL): the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Since 2019, MedGlobal has supported 72 health facilities across Sudan. In 2024, MedGlobal provided maternal healthcare, primary health services and emergency cholera activities for more than 450,000 people, as well as clean water, medical supplies and equipment reaching 1.6 million people. In Northern State, MedGlobal actively supports 26 health facilities around Ad Dabbah and operates two mobile clinics, providing much-needed medical assistance to displaced communities. MedGlobal also delivered emergency supplies to El Fasher in July 2024 during the siege, reaching communities that had been cut off from humanitarian aid.
