Sudan Violence Forces 3,000+ to Flee as War Approaches Third Year

Recent attacks by paramilitary forces in Sudan's Darfur region have forced more than 3,000 people from their homes, according to a medical organization tracking the ongoing conflict. The violence killed at least 28 people and wounded 39 others in the town of Misteriha. Sudan's civil war, which began in April 2023, has now claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced 12 million people.

Recent violence by paramilitary fighters in Sudan’s Darfur region has forced more than 3,000 residents to abandon their homes over the past several days, according to a medical organization monitoring the African nation’s ongoing civil war as it approaches its third anniversary.

The Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors the country’s devastating conflict, reported that the latest assault on Misteriha in North Darfur province resulted in at least 28 fatalities and left 39 people injured. The organization had shared this information earlier this week through a Facebook post.

Medical officials noted that these casualty figures represent preliminary counts, warning that the actual number of dead and injured could be significantly higher.

Misteriha serves as a base for Arab tribal leader Musa Hilal, who shares tribal connections with the Rizeigat Arab community that makes up most of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The reasons behind this particular assault remain unclear, and attempts to reach RSF representatives for comment were unsuccessful.

The ongoing battle between the RSF and Sudan’s military escalated into full-scale warfare in April 2023, resulting in at least 40,000 deaths and forcing 12 million people from their homes, according to World Health Organization data. Relief organizations warn the actual casualties may be far greater due to limited access to remote combat zones.

Medical groups report that families escaped Misteriha during nighttime hours, leaving behind all possessions and now facing shortages of both shelter and food. The majority of those displaced are women, including expectant mothers, who are experiencing “extremely severe” medical conditions. Organizations have issued calls for “immediate and urgent assistance.”

RSF fighters escalated their assault on Monday and successfully captured the town, a victory that will likely expand the paramilitary group’s control throughout Darfur.

Last October, RSF forces captured el-Fasher, North Darfur’s capital city, following an 18-month blockade. The paramilitary group killed over 6,000 civilians between October 25 and October 27 in that city—violence that United Nations-supported investigators describe as having “the hallmarks of genocide.”

During this time, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced Thursday that his organization has recorded a dramatic increase—more than two and a half times higher—in civilian deaths throughout Sudan in 2025 compared to the previous year, with thousands of people still missing or unidentified.

“This war is ugly. It’s bloody. And it’s senseless,” Türk stated during a human rights council meeting in Geneva. “If much of the international community continues to act as a passive bystander, then something is fundamentally wrong with our collective moral compass.”

Multiple diplomatic initiatives by various nations and international organizations have been unsuccessful in bringing the conflict to an end.