The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday that more than one million people have been displaced from Sudan’s El Fasher locality in North Darfur, underscoring the growing humanitarian toll of the country’s ongoing civil war.
In a statement shared with Darfur 24, the agency confirmed that 1,014,748 people have fled El Fasher, accounting for roughly 10% of Sudan’s total internally displaced population.
Between April 1, 2024, and June 29, at least 781,998 people were displaced from El Fasher and the nearby Zamzam camp, one of the region’s largest displacement sites. Nearly the entire population of Zamzam—498,955 people, or 99%—was forced to flee, with the majority heading toward Tawila and a smaller number to El Fasher.
The displacement was triggered by fierce clashes that erupted in April between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a coalition of General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and allied Islamist groups. Violence and insecurity continue to push residents out of conflict zones.
The IOM noted a recent decline in Zamzam’s displaced population as thousands continue to cross into neighboring Chad, which has received more than 1.1 million Sudanese refugees since the conflict began in April 2023.
North Darfur remains one of the most heavily affected regions, with 117 separate displacement incidents documented—85% linked to direct armed conflict. The IOM now counts 1,794,860 displaced persons in the state, making it Sudan’s third most affected region after Khartoum and South Darfur.
The organization expects further displacement from El Fasher in the coming weeks, particularly toward Tawila, Mellit, and Kutum, as fighting shows little sign of slowing.
