At least 1,510 people have fled the city of Al-Fasher in western Sudan over a five-day period due to escalating violence and deteriorating security conditions, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.

The displacement occurred between October 15 and 19 as clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued in and around the city, the UN agency said in a statement.

The displaced people have scattered across various sites in Al-Fasher and Tawila in North Darfur, it added, warning that “the situation remains tense and volatile, raising fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.”

Earlier on Monday, the Sudanese army said in a statement that its forces repelled an RSF attack on Al-Fasher from three directions, inflicting “heavy losses in lives and equipment.”

Devastating war

The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, a local civil group, said on Sunday that hundreds of families fleeing Al-Fasher had arrived in Tawila amid “dire humanitarian conditions.”

The group urged international humanitarian organisations to “act urgently to provide aid and assistance to the displaced, who lack the most basic necessities.”

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.