More than 107,000 civilians have fled Sudan’s North Darfur state as renewed fighting and insecurity intensified around the city of El-Fasher, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.
In a statement, the agency reported that at least 107,294 people — representing over 24,000 families — were displaced between Oct. 26 and Dec. 8, following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) takeover of El-Fasher and escalating violence in nearby areas.
According to IOM assessments, around 72% of those displaced remain within North Darfur, particularly in its northern and western localities, while approximately 19% have moved to other states, including Central Darfur, Northern State and White Nile State.
The agency noted that a large portion of those who fled had already been uprooted previously, with an estimated 75% being people displaced earlier from major camps such as Zamzam and Abu Shouk, or from neighborhoods inside El-Fasher during previous waves of conflict.
IOM warned that ongoing insecurity, movement restrictions and volatile frontlines may further alter displacement patterns, stressing that figures remain preliminary as conditions continue to deteriorate.
North, West and South Kordofan have also witnessed intense clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in recent weeks, triggering further civilian flight.
The RSF currently controls most of the Darfur region, while the Sudanese army retains hold of large areas across other states, including the capital Khartoum.
Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed thousands and forced millions from their homes, fueling one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.