INSIDE DARFUR

I was given rare access to near-destroyed El Geneina in Sudan’s Darfur. The region has witnessed a horrific massacre, with armed attacks resulting in numerous civilian casualties and widespread devastation.

A year ago, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group and its Arab allies, at war with the Sudan armed forces, took control of the city. Overwhelmed survivors stopped counting, but the dead may number as high as fifteen thousand, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee.

This selection reveals a rare glimpse into what the city looks like now. 

  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Two women with their children wait in the teaching hospital on May 1, 2024, in El Geneina, Sudan. Sudan has been grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and displacement, leaving many in need of medical and nutritional aid.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A woman with her children wait in the teaching hospital on May 1, 2024, in El Geneina, Sudan. Sudan has been grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and displacement, leaving many in need of medical and nutritional aid.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: In the streets of El Geneina, Darfur, members of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) loom over their vehicle, a symbol of both authority and fear in the region. Beyond the borders of Darfur, their presence sparks unease, as reports of atrocities committed by the RSF reverberate across the nation and beyond.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Children stand amidst the bustling market stalls in El Geneina on May 1, 2024. Homeless and displaced by conflict, they face a harsh existence without shelter or familial security.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: An abandoned, rusted armored vehicle sits by the roadside in El Geneina, Sudan, on May 2, 2024. El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, has been severely affected by ongoing conflict and violence, exacerbating the region’s humanitarian crisis and hampering efforts for recovery and stability.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: In the streets of El Geneina, Darfur, members of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) loom over their vehicle, a symbol of both authority and fear in the region. Beyond the borders of Darfur, their presence sparks unease, as reports of atrocities committed by the RSF reverberate across the nation and beyond.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A man walks through the ruins of a destroyed school in El Geneina, Darfur, May 2024. Shattered classrooms and crumbling walls serve as haunting reminders of the violence that has torn apart this community.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Graffiti on a school blackboard in a destroyed school in El Geneina, Darfur, May 2024. A haunting reminder of the massacre that happened in this very place, where children’s laughter once echoed, now replaced by silence and sorrow.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Abandoned service stations, stripped bare by looters, line the streets of El Geneina in the Darfur region. Despite Sudan’s oil wealth, the scarcity of fuel is palpable, with Libyan imports illicitly crossing the border to meet demand.
  • CHAD – SUDAN border crossing: A black-market trade at the border between Adré and El Geneina exacerbates economic instability and fuels the ongoing conflict, highlighting the complex challenges faced by the region. Despite Sudan’s oil wealth, fuel scarcity is palpable, with Libyan imports illicitly crossing the border to meet demand.
  • CHAD – SUDAN border crossing: On the road connecting Adré and El Geneina, capital of West Darfur. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with displaced populations and scarce resources further straining the region.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: The airport in El Geneina lies in ruins on May 2024, reflecting the severe impact of ongoing conflict in the region. The destruction of vital infrastructure has further isolated the area, complicating humanitarian efforts and exacerbating the already dire situation for displaced populations.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Amid the ruins of El Geneina’s airport, graffiti depicts the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), symbols of both fear and defiance. Their relentless advance has reshaped Darfur’s landscape, seizing control and inflicting significant blows on Sudanese army forces.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Amid the ruins of El Geneina’s airport, graffiti depicts the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), symbols of both fear and defiance. The desecrated airport stands as a somber testament to the RSF’s unchecked power, leaving a community grappling with uncertainty and destruction.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: The airport in El Geneina lies in ruins on May 2024, reflecting the severe impact of ongoing conflict in the region. The destruction of vital infrastructure has further isolated the area, complicating humanitarian efforts and exacerbating the already dire situation for displaced populations.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: The airport in El Geneina lies in ruins on May 2024, reflecting the severe impact of ongoing conflict in the region. The destruction of vital infrastructure has further isolated the area, complicating humanitarian efforts and exacerbating the already dire situation for displaced populations.
  • Armed individuals ride a motorcycle across the arid landscape at the border between Darfur and Chad. Sudan has been experiencing prolonged conflicts and humanitarian crises, significantly impacting the region and its inhabitants.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Abandoned service stations, stripped bare by looters, line the streets of El Geneina in Darfur. Despite Sudan’s oil wealth, fuel scarcity remains a pressing issue, with illicit Libyan imports crossing the border to meet demand.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A rusted, abandoned armored vehicle lies by the roadside in El Geneina, Sudan, on May 2, 2024. The text in Arabic reads “Houthi are heroes,” highlighting the connection between the Rapid Support Forces and Yemen. This graffiti underscores the ideological and tactical alliances between the Sudanese paramilitary group and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, reflecting broader regional conflicts and influences.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Camels graze among the ruins in a devastated El Geneina, Darfur, May 2024. El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, has faced significant destruction due to ongoing conflict, leaving much of the city in ruins and its residents in dire need of aid.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Children stand amidst the bustling market stalls in El Geneina on May 1, 2024. Homeless and displaced by conflict, they face a harsh existence without shelter or familial security.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Children stand amidst the bustling market stalls in El Geneina on May 1, 2024. Homeless and displaced by conflict, they face a harsh existence without shelter or familial security.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A woman stand amidst the bustling market stalls in El Geneina on May 1, 2024. Homeless and displaced by conflict, civilians face a harsh existence without shelter or familial security.
  • Newly arrived refugees from Darfur, at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. As conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, the exodus surged, with over 600,000 seeking refuge across the border into Chad, fleeing the relentless violence and upheaval tearing through their homeland.
  • Newly arrived refugees from Darfur, at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. As conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, the exodus surged, with over 600,000 seeking refuge across the border into Chad, fleeing the relentless violence and upheaval tearing through their homeland.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A men stand amidst the bustling market stalls in El Geneina on May 1, 2024. Homeless and displaced by conflict, civilians face a harsh existence without shelter or familial security.
  • Newly arrived refugees from Darfur, at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. As conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, the exodus surged, with over 600,000 seeking refuge across the border into Chad, fleeing the relentless violence and upheaval tearing through their homeland.
  • Women stand at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. Yet, their journey to safety offers little respite as they confront the harsh reality of extreme neglect and an unrelenting battle for survival with each passing day.
  • Mariam, 45 years old, stand at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. Yet, her journey to safety offers little respite as she confronts the harsh reality of extreme neglect and an unrelenting battle for survival with each passing day.
  • Newly arrived refugees from Darfur, at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. As conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, the exodus surged, with over 600,000 seeking refuge across the border into Chad, fleeing the relentless violence and upheaval tearing through their homeland.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: Girls walk in the street on El Geneina, Sudan, on May, 2024. El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, has been grappling with decades of violence and displacement.
  • EL GENEINA, SUDAN: A woman stands in the street on El Geneina, Sudan, on May, 2024. El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, has been grappling with decades of violence and displacement.
  • Newly arrived refugees from Darfur, at the crossroads between Darfur and Chad. As conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, the exodus surged, with over 600,000 seeking refuge across the border into Chad, fleeing the relentless violence and upheaval tearing through their homeland.