- Over 136,000 people have fled Sudan’s Sennar state due to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- Nearly 10 million have been displaced in the 15-month conflict between RSF and the regular army.
- Displaced civilians face dire conditions, with insufficient shelter and food aid.
The conflict in Sudan has escalated into a severe humanitarian crisis, with more than 136,000 people fleeing Sudan’s southeastern Sennar state following a series of attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This displacement is part of a larger pattern that has seen nearly 10 million people forced from their homes during the nearly 15-month-long war between the RSF and the regular army.
On June 24, the RSF launched a campaign to seize Sennar, a key trading hub, but quickly shifted their efforts to smaller towns like Sinjah and al-Dinder. This offensive caused civilians to flee primarily to neighboring al-Gedaref and Blue Nile states. Social media images show people wading across the Blue Nile River in their desperate attempts to escape.
The situation for those displaced is dire, with reports of insufficient shelter and food aid in the areas they have fled to. In al-Gedaref, heavy rains have worsened the suffering of those stranded in the state capital’s main market, left without tents or blankets after displacement centers were cleared by the government.
According to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM), an estimated 136,130 people have been displaced from Sennar since June 24. Sennar was already home to more than 285,000 people displaced from Khartoum and al-Gezira states, suggesting that many of the recent displacements involve individuals who have been forced to move multiple times.
In addition to Sennar, there have been reports of villages in Gedaref state experiencing an exodus, likely due to fears of becoming targets in the RSF campaign. In western Sudan, local activists reported that artillery fire killed at least 12 people at a livestock market in al-Fashir, a city embroiled in a months-long struggle for control, leading to further displacement towards nearby towns and camps.
The conflict has sparked accusations of “ethnic cleansing” and raised warnings of famine, particularly in RSF-controlled areas across Sudan.