ICRC records nearly 7,000 missing persons since the outbreak of conflict
November 18, 2025 (TAWILA) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that it has registered nearly 7,000 missing persons since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrested thousands of people; some were released after ransom payments, while others died due to hunger and lack of healthcare in detention centres. The fate of the majority remains unknown.
Hussein Ibrahim Rassoul, Deputy Economic Security Coordinator for the ICRC in Sudan, said in a statement that the International Committee “has registered nearly 7,000 missing persons since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan on April 15, 2023, until today.”
He pointed out that the ICRC, in cooperation with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, facilitated hundreds of phone calls in the Tawila locality of North Darfur state to help families stay in contact with their loved ones.
According to the United Nations and human rights organisations, the RSF committed violations, including mass killings, execution of the sick, detention for financial ransom, and rape of women, following its control over El Fasher on October 26.
Rassoul stated that the Committee is working to increase aid provided to newly arrived families in Tawila, which will cover an additional 12,000 families—about 72,000 people.
He added: “Thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict. They have arrived in Tawila and continue to arrive daily. Most are women, children, and the elderly. Their situation is challenging. They cannot even meet their basic needs, and they suffer from hunger, thirst, shock, and exhaustion. Some are injured or ill and have lost contact with their loved ones.”
Tawila, located approximately 60 kilometres west of El Fasher, has become a refuge for 655,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), most of whom fled El Fasher. Of these, 21% live in camps, while 74% have settled in informal settlements and open gathering places.
Rassoul reported that the Red Cross is working to enhance its humanitarian response in the Tawila area to meet the basic needs of the affected communities, in cooperation with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society. He indicated that the ICRC teams have already provided financial assistance to 10,000 families, totalling 60,000 displaced persons.
Cash assistance
In a related context, Adnan Hizam, spokesperson for the ICRC, told “Sudan Tribune” that, in cooperation with the Red Crescent, the Committee delivered 1,200,000 Sudanese Pounds to 8,000 families, each consisting of 6 people, in the Tawila area last week.
Hizam confirmed that the ICRC supports the provision of essential medical supplies and operational assistance to the hospital, supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and to nearby medical points. It also plans to provide water filters to improve water sources in Tawila.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated in a report published on October 29 that 98% of families in Tawila lack sleeping materials such as blankets, mattresses, and mosquito nets. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) confirmed that families are forced to sleep in the open, which increases the risks of women and girls being exposed to violence, exploitation, and abuse.
The IOM reported that 86% of the displaced in Tawila suffer from poor food consumption, and 30% of children under five are thin or not growing well.