For over 500 days, the Sudanese city of El Fasher has been strangled by a siege, with a quarter of a million civilians trapped inside. As the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tighten their grip, those attempting to flee are met with violence, while those who remain face starvation. Analysts now warn the city’s defenses are on the verge of collapse.
The human cost is staggering. Food supplies have been exhausted for months. Residents have resorted to eating a nutrient-poor peanut paste traditionally fed to livestock, and even grass and leaves. Community kitchens have shuttered, and malnutrition is rampant, with children dying daily from hunger. The last functioning hospital struggles without medicine or bandages, forcing medical staff to rely on herbal remedies.
The defenders, a mix of local volunteers and rebel fighters, are outgunned and outnumbered. They hold a shrinking portion of the city against an enemy equipped with advanced weaponry, including suicide drones and heavy artillery. One veteran fighter, a mother of three, acknowledged the increasing danger, stating that enemy snipers constantly target her position.
International efforts to broker a humanitarian pause have repeatedly failed. Leaked documents and intelligence sources point to a key ally of Western nations as a primary obstacle. This nation is alleged to have intervened to block aid convoys and complicate diplomatic efforts, effectively sustaining the siege.
The RSF has recently constructed massive earthworks, completely encircling the city and cutting off the last overland routes. This has created a “kill box,” where anyone trying to leave is shot. A brief, secret operation by aid groups managed to smuggle a small amount of food into the city, but officials concede it was a one-time success that cannot be repeated.
With the rainy season ending, the RSF has launched its most ferocious assault yet, capturing key districts including a major displacement camp and a central market. The city’s defenses are crumbling under relentless shelling that now sees hundreds of projectiles land each day.
Despite being abandoned by the international community, a grim determination persists among the city’s residents. They cling to the hope that advancing friendly forces will break through, even as the noose tightens and the final battle for El Fasher appears to have begun.
