Twelve-year-old Abdiwahab - not his real name - sobs as he recounts what happened to him as he escaped from the western Sudanese city of el-Fasher. The young boy left el-Fasher on Sunday as it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group engaged in a two-and-a-half-year civil war against the army.
In a video received by the BBC, his face reflects deep sorrow and fatigue, his voice low as he describes being assaulted 'many times' by RSF fighters. Fearing reprisals, Abdiwahab joined a wave of people—including some family members—trying to flee the chaos.
The UN estimates that 60,000 have been able to escape from el-Fasher, with survivors recounting horrific tales of atrocities, including sexual violence. After three days of walking, Abdiwahab reached the relative safety of Tawila, but tragically, he arrived alone. 'I left the city with my father and siblings but because of the chaos we were separated,' he explained.
During his journey, he was captured several times by RSF fighters who accused him of espionage, leading to brutal beatings. This reflects a broader pattern of violence against men and boys, who face heightened risks of arbitrary arrest and execution.
Ali, a volunteer aid worker who fled el-Fasher himself two weeks prior, documented Abdiwahab's experience. He completed the journey after receiving traumatic reports of the boy's relentless searches for his parents, whom he lost during the escape. Many new arrivals at the camps in Tawila tell similar stories of survival amid death and despair.
Conditions in Tawila are stark; aid workers report unaccompanied minors daily, often arriving in dire states of health, thirst, and hunger. Ali describes the overwhelming number of civilians in desperate need of assistance, with many survivors bearing witness to gruesome deaths and injuries along their routes. With ongoing violence, even relief efforts face deadly threats, impacting the humanitarian response drastically.
Amidst these struggles, the UN and NGOs strive to provide shelter and basic needs for those arriving. However, many remain trapped in el-Fasher under perilous circumstances.}
In a video received by the BBC, his face reflects deep sorrow and fatigue, his voice low as he describes being assaulted 'many times' by RSF fighters. Fearing reprisals, Abdiwahab joined a wave of people—including some family members—trying to flee the chaos.
The UN estimates that 60,000 have been able to escape from el-Fasher, with survivors recounting horrific tales of atrocities, including sexual violence. After three days of walking, Abdiwahab reached the relative safety of Tawila, but tragically, he arrived alone. 'I left the city with my father and siblings but because of the chaos we were separated,' he explained.
During his journey, he was captured several times by RSF fighters who accused him of espionage, leading to brutal beatings. This reflects a broader pattern of violence against men and boys, who face heightened risks of arbitrary arrest and execution.
Ali, a volunteer aid worker who fled el-Fasher himself two weeks prior, documented Abdiwahab's experience. He completed the journey after receiving traumatic reports of the boy's relentless searches for his parents, whom he lost during the escape. Many new arrivals at the camps in Tawila tell similar stories of survival amid death and despair.
Conditions in Tawila are stark; aid workers report unaccompanied minors daily, often arriving in dire states of health, thirst, and hunger. Ali describes the overwhelming number of civilians in desperate need of assistance, with many survivors bearing witness to gruesome deaths and injuries along their routes. With ongoing violence, even relief efforts face deadly threats, impacting the humanitarian response drastically.
Amidst these struggles, the UN and NGOs strive to provide shelter and basic needs for those arriving. However, many remain trapped in el-Fasher under perilous circumstances.}
