More than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend, according to the UN refugee agency.
There have been reports of mass executions and crimes against humanity as RSF fighters stormed the city after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.
The flow of those fleeing the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, the UNHCR's Eujin Byun told the BBC.
Witnesses are recounting horrendous stories of atrocities, including rape, and the agency is struggling to find enough shelter and food for the fleeing populace.
Every child is suffering from malnutrition, she added.
The situation is dire with over 150,000 individuals estimated to still be trapped in el-Fasher, which had remained the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.
While the RSF denies claims that the killings are ethnically motivated, the takeover reinforces a geographic split in the nation, with the RSF controlling western Sudan and the army retaining its grip on the capital, Khartoum, and other regions.
It is crucial that the world recognizes the escalating humanitarian crisis, characterized as the largest of its kind, with more than 150,000 deaths reported since civil unrest began in April 2023.
The RSF's recent detention of a militiaman accused of summary executions suggests a glimmer of accountability, but it does little to alleviate the widespread suffering endured by the citizens of Sudan.
