Survivor of El-Fasher Hospital Attack Shares Harrowing Escape Story

Wed Nov 12 2025 15:47:30 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the wake of a reported massacre in Sudan, Abdu-Rabbu Ahmed, a hospital worker, recounts his terrifying escape from the violence in el-Fasher, revealing the state of terror faced by medical staff and civilians.

Amid escalating violence in Sudan, Abdu-Rabbu Ahmed, a technician at the Saudi Hospital in el-Fasher, shares his traumatic experience of fleeing before an alleged massacre by paramilitary forces. The RSF (Rapid Support Forces) have taken control of the city, leading to widespread atrocities, including the alleged killings of many patients and health workers. As Ahmed recounts the horror he witnessed, he also expresses deep sorrow over the loss of colleagues and family members.

A man who escaped the last functioning hospital in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher before a reported massacre by paramilitary troops says he has lost all hope and happiness.

I have lost my colleagues, Abdu-Rabbu Ahmed, a laboratory technician at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, told the BBC.

I have lost the people whose faces I used to see smiling... It feels as if you lost a big part of your body or your soul.

He was speaking from a displaced persons camp in Tawila, located 70km (43 miles) west of el-Fasher, where the RSF has taken over after 18 months of siege.

The RSF has been engaged in combat with the Sudanese army since April 2023, following a power struggle that led to civil war. Reports indicate that at least 460 patients and companions were killed at the Saudi Hospital, making this incident one of many documented atrocities.

The World Health Organization condemned the violence and reported that six health workers, including doctors and nurses, were abducted during the chaos.

In a statement, the RSF claimed these accusations were misinformation, alleging that all hospitals in el-Fasher had been deserted.

Mr. Ahmed revealed that despite the dangers, he continued to work at the hospital throughout the conflict, even as frequent bombardment wreaked havoc on the facility.

The last moment he and his colleagues had was during the RSF's final brutal assault. He told the BBC that the state of terror left many fleeing as artillery and drones targeted crowds of civilians.

Some of the fleeing medical workers arrived with me in Tawila, but many were detained across various locations. I heard that medical staff who remained back were executed, Ahmed recounted, deeply worried about the fate of those trapped in el-Fasher.

This is the information I received from colleagues we know. They may be killed. And they may be used as human shields against airstrikes. I do not have any hope of returning to el-Fasher, Ahmed concluded.

His sentiments echo those of countless others who fled the city, leaving behind families, friends, and communities shattered by violence.