Survivors' Harrowing Escape from Sudan's War: Eyewitness Accounts

Tue Dec 02 2025 08:27:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the conflict in Sudan escalates, survivors recount terrifying tales of violence and chaos during their escape from the city of el-Fasher, revealing the brutal realities faced by civilians caught in the crossfire.

In the wake of the Rapid Support Forces' capture of el-Fasher, countless civilians faced dire circumstances while fleeing for their lives. Eyewitness accounts reflect the horror of the situation, where shootings and attacks became commonplace as families struggled for survival. Amidst the chaos, civilians navigate a brutal landscape marked by violence, fear, and the desperate search for safety.

Survivors' Harrowing Escape from Sudan's War: Eyewitness Accounts

Abdulqadir Abdullah Ali suffered serious nerve damage to his leg during the long siege of the Sudanese city of el-Fasher because he could not get medicine for his diabetes.

The 62-year-old walks with a heavy limp, but he was so panicked when fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) finally captured the city in the western Darfur region that he felt no pain as he ran.

The morning the RSF came there were bullets, many bullets, and explosives going off, he explains.

Witnesses report a chaotic exodus, with people fleeing in all directions as fear gripped them, describing the chaos that ensued as the RSF sought to control the area.

Flight from el-Fasher heralds a brutal chapter in Sudan's ongoing civil war, as the RSF’s takeover raises alarms about mass atrocities against civilians, garnering international condemnation.

Survivor accounts detail how RSF fighters targeted civilians with live ammunition, adding a grim layer to the already harrowing situation. Abdulqadir stated, They shot at the people - the elderly, the civilians. If they saw someone still breathing, they drove over them. These shocking claims illustrate the ruthless nature of the conflict, with people witnessing deaths and assaults firsthand.

As families navigated treacherous routes seeking refuge, many endured unbearable losses, including the death of loved ones.

An 18-year-old girl, escaping with her siblings after their father was killed in the fighting, recounted the harrowing moment they lost their grandmother to exhaustion on the way to safety.

Reports from the humanitarian camps reveal a devastating toll on displaced families struggling to find shelter after being stripped of their resources by combatants.

In al-Dabbah, where survivors sought refuge, heartbreaking stories of separation and survival emerge, encapsulating the enduring human spirit in the face of relentless brutality.

The RSF has reportedly dismissed allegations of systematic abuse, instead claiming that such narratives serve a political purpose.

This ongoing tragedy underscores the urgent need for international awareness and intervention to address the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.