More than 5,000 people displaced by attacks by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrived in Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile State, amid severe humanitarian conditions, the Sudan Doctors Network said.
The medical group said the displaced people fled the Geissan area following RSF attacks and are facing critical shortages of food, drinking water, medicine and shelter, with children, women and the elderly particularly vulnerable.
It warned that heavy rainfall in Blue Nile could further worsen health and environmental risks due to limited resources and called on the UN and humanitarian agencies to urgently provide food, water, medical supplies and tents.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) had said earlier that 5,355 people or more than 1,000 households were displaced from Geissan between August 12 and 15 because of deteriorating security. Local authorities said on August 17 that the Sudanese army had repelled an attack on Geissan by the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), near the Ethiopian border.
Sudan’s Army and the RSF have been fighting since 2023, triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about 13 million, according to estimates.