More than 5,000 flee south-east Sudan clashes for Ed Damazin, medics say

August 18, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – More than 5,000 people have fled the Geissan area to the south-eastern city of Ed Damazin following heavy fighting, the Sudanese Doctors Network said on Tuesday, warning of a deepening humanitarian and health crisis.

An alliance of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) seized the strategic border town of Geissan in Blue Nile state last week following fierce clashes with the army.

The clashes triggered an escalating wave of forced displacement towards Ed Damazin, with ongoing seasonal rains further hampering humanitarian conditions in the region, which borders Ethiopia.

Civilians in the Adasi area and neighbouring villages were forced to cross waterways by boat to reach Kambal on the eastern bank of Wad al-Mahi locality on Sunday, facing heavy rains, gale-force winds, and rising floodwaters.

The medical group said displaced families arrived in Ed Damazin facing severe shortages of food, medicine, and shelter, leaving vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly, at acute risk.

It warned that conditions could worsen as seasonal rains persist, raising the risk of waterborne and environmental disease outbreaks amid depleted local response capacities.

The group urged United Nations agencies, international aid groups, and local authorities to facilitate unimpeded relief access and deliver emergency food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter materials.