Sudan doctors report rape of fleeing children and women after El Fasher fall

December 7, 2025 (TAWILA) – Sudanese medical groups reported on Sunday that dozens of children and women were sexually assaulted while fleeing the capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with survivors arriving in displacement camps suffering from severe trauma and malnutrition.

Fifty-four children were subjected to sexual assault and rape during the flight to the Tawila area in North Darfur, Adiba Ibrahim El-Sayed, a specialist with the Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors’ Union, told Sudan Tribune.

RSF fighters pursued civilians escaping El Fasher, committing “grave violations” including mass killings, sexual violence, and detentions for ransom, El-Sayed said.

El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, fell to the paramilitary group recently, triggering an exodus. About 106,000 people have fled the city, according to the report, though the fate of thousands more remains unknown due to communication blackouts.

Survivors arriving in Tawila, approximately 60 km west of El Fasher, are in desperate condition. El-Sayed noted that many children are suffering from acute malnutrition, immune deficiencies, and psychological trauma from atrocities witnessed during their escape. Pregnant women, exhausted by the trek and stress, are suffering from anaemia and miscarriages.

Separately, the Sudan Doctors Network said it documented the rape of 19 women by RSF personnel as they fled El Fasher toward the Northern State.

The victims, now sheltering at the Al-Affad camp in Al-Dabbah, include two women who became pregnant as a result of the assaults. They are currently receiving medical care under local supervision, the network said.

The network condemned the “mass rape” of women as a weapon of war and a violation of international law, warning that the lack of international pressure is encouraging further atrocities against vulnerable groups.

Tawila now hosts over 655,000 displaced persons, mainly from El Fasher. While 21% are in organized camps, nearly three-quarters are living in informal settlements or open areas with little protection.

The medical groups called on the United Nations to send independent investigators and ensure safe corridors for aid, urging immediate pressure on RSF leadership to halt attacks on fleeing civilians.