Escape from El-Fasher: Sudanese Hospital Worker Recounts Terrifying Ordeal

Wed Nov 12 2025 16:18:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Abdu-Rabbu Ahmed, a lab technician from the Saudi Maternity Hospital in Sudan, shares his harrowing experience fleeing el-Fasher amidst violence and reported atrocities by paramilitary forces. His story exemplifies the human cost of ongoing conflict.

In a compelling account, Abdu-Rabbu Ahmed, who worked at the last operational hospital in el-Fasher, shares the trauma of witnessing violence and the loss of loved ones during a recent massacre by paramilitary troops. Severely impacted by the conflict, Ahmed expresses despair for his colleagues and the future of those remaining in the war-torn city.

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 to us from a displaced persons camp in Tawila some 70km (43 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, the regional hub that was overtaken by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the end of October following an 18-month siege.

The RSF has been embroiled in conflict with the Sudanese army since April 2023, when power struggles led to civil war.

The alleged killings of at least 460 patients and their companions at the Saudi Hospital represent one of the most shocking reports of atrocities amidst widespread violence, with some incidents filmed by RSF fighters circulated online.

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the reported shootings and the abduction of six health workers involved in the attacks.

The RSF dismissed these accusations as disinformation, showcasing a video of female volunteers purportedly tending to patients in an effort to refute the claims.

Ahmed continued to work at the Saudi Hospital throughout the early conflicts, despite regular bombardments that injured staff and patients. He described sharing minimal food with medical colleagues as conditions deteriorated with the tightening RSF blockade.

On the day of the final assault, he recounted that the shelling began in the morning, causing widespread panic.

There was a state of terror, and as we walked, drones were bombing us. I saw many people die on the spot; there was no one to help them, Ahmed recalled.

Some medical staff fled alongside him, while others were captured in surrounding areas.

I am very worried about the fate of the people inside el-Fasher... they may be killed. And they may be used as human shields against the airstrikes, he expressed with dread.

Tragically, Ahmed lost close family members during the violence, with a sister and two brothers killed and his parents missing unaccounted.

The rescue operation gave little reassurance, being fraught with danger and loss. His harrowing story emphasizes the human toll of the ongoing conflict and reflects a deep-rooted despair that prevails among the survivors.