Residents of al-Fashir, Sudan’s last army-controlled city in Darfur, are retreating to underground shelters in a desperate attempt to survive intensifying drone and artillery assaults. The once-bustling city has become a war zone as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battle for control, deepening the humanitarian crisis gripping the region.
Famine, disease, and violence have engulfed al-Fashir, where an estimated 250,000 civilians remain trapped under siege conditions. The United Nations reports that more than one million residents have fled during the 18-month blockade, though escaping has become both perilous and prohibitively expensive.
Daily Life Underground
Locals have begun digging bunkers and makeshift shelters to protect themselves from relentless airstrikes and shelling. Residents say drone attacks have targeted schools, clinics, and mosques, forcing people to limit movement during the day and avoid using lights at night.
“We can only bury the dead at night or at dawn,” said Mohyaldeen Abdallah, a journalist living in the city. “It’s become normal for us.”
Doctors and aid workers report drones following civilians into clinics. Dr. Ezzeldin Asow, head of the now-abandoned Southern Hospital, described the fear gripping the city: “You walk pressed against walls like a gecko so the drone won’t spot you.”
Civilian Shelters Under Fire
At least 18 people were killed in early October at a displacement shelter inside Abu Taleb School, which had already been targeted multiple times by drone and artillery fire. Footage verified by Reuters showed collapsed ceilings and a buried shipping container converted into a bunker.
Another major attack struck Dar al-Arqam, a shelter and mosque complex on university grounds. Manager Hashim Bosh confirmed 57 deaths, including 17 children and three infants, after a series of strikes that began immediately after Friday prayers. Satellite imagery released by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab confirmed multiple impact points on the site.
Mounting Humanitarian Toll
The RSF, accused by the U.S. of committing genocide in Darfur, has claimed that al-Fashir is “devoid of civilians,” alleging that the army and allied groups are using hospitals and mosques for military purposes. The Sudanese army, which has also used drones, denies targeting civilians.
Local networks like the al-Fashir Resistance Committee estimate that around 30 people die daily from violence, hunger, or disease. Volunteers with the Abu Shouk Emergency Response Room say bodies left on the streets now pose a major health hazard.
“Al-Fashir is basically lifeless,” said Mohamed, a volunteer with the group. “But leaving is even more dangerous than staying.”
With the city nearly encircled and food supplies exhausted, activists warn that even animal feed once used as food has run out. As both warring sides dig in, civilians find themselves trapped underground fighting to survive in a city on the brink of collapse.
