A United Nations humanitarian team has visited Sudan’s el-Fasher city for the first time since it was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October, finding hundreds of civilians living in desperate conditions amid severe shortages of food, medicine and shelter.

The hours-long visit, conducted on Friday, marked the UN’s first direct assessment of the city after months of isolation. UN officials said el-Fasher remains under RSF control and largely cut off from the outside world following a prolonged siege.

“It was a tense mission,” said Denise Brown, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, describing the city as a “massive crime scene.” The exact death toll from the takeover remains unknown, though survivors who fled reported widespread killings, with satellite images suggesting mass graves and burned bodies.

The UN team found civilians sheltering in abandoned buildings or makeshift structures made from plastic sheets and blankets, without access to clean water, toilets or basic services. Food was scarce and expensive, with the price of rice reportedly reaching up to $100 per kilogram.

Medical services were described as nearly non-functional, with hospitals lacking supplies and staff. Aid groups said villages surrounding el-Fasher appeared largely deserted, while many injured people may still need evacuation.

El-Fasher, once the last army stronghold in Darfur, fell amid Sudan’s ongoing war, which has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.