Residents Flee Sudan’s Blue Nile State as RSF and Allies Mass Near Geissan

28 March 2026

Displaced civilians arrive in Roseires in Blue Nile on March 28, 2026

March 28, 2026 (GEISSAN) – Civilians are fleeing the town of Geissan in Sudan’s Blue Nile region toward Roseires, activists said on Saturday, as paramilitary and rebel forces massed for a potential assault.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have gathered troops around Geissan following their recent capture of Kurmuk and other nearby towns. The Sudanese army has responded by reinforcing its positions south of the regional capital, Damazin.Cultural insights Sudan

A local emergency room committee said in a statement it was “deeply concerned by the waves of displacement from Geissan,” noting that large numbers of residents had been forced to abandon their homes in search of safety.

Displaced families face acute shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical care, the committee said. While local volunteers are distributing limited food baskets to the most vulnerable, they warned that the scale of the crisis requires immediate international intervention.

In Roseires, an emergency response group said it had conducted a field assessment of those arriving from Geissan. One multi-purpose centre in the town is currently housing approximately 75 families, the majority of whom are women and children living in “complex humanitarian conditions.”

The group identified urgent needs for primary healthcare, hygiene kits, and reproductive health supplies, as well as basic sheltering materials.

The RSF’s steady advance across Sudan has consistently triggered large-scale displacement. Civilians frequently flee ahead of the paramilitary group’s arrival, citing reports of widespread killings, sexual violence, and looting in areas falling under its control.Cultural insights Sudan