In the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher, residents are seeking refuge underground as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan’s army continue their brutal two-year war.
The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced countless civilians.
Nafisa Malik, a 45-year-old mother, is among those forced to flee underground.
She clutches her five children close, shielding them from the relentless shelling in a cramped hole barely big enough to crouch in. “Time slows down here,” Malik said. “We sit in the darkness, listening, trying to guess when it’s over”.
The city’s residents have built makeshift bunkers to protect themselves from artillery and drone strikes. Some are simple foxholes, while others are more solid and reinforced with sandbags.
Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire, with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describing the crisis as “staggering in scale and brutality”.
The conflict has also led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with aid practically nonexistent. The African Union has warned that Sudan risks partition, and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.
As the RSF tightens its grip on El-Fasher, the city’s residents face an uncertain future, forced to endure unimaginable hardship and fear.
