Residents displaced from Sudan's war-torn North Darfur region have expressed their "urgent" need for greater aid as the U.N. migration agency warned current humanitarian operations in the region were on the brink of collapse.

The IOM said more funding is needed to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the war between the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The agency warned of “an even greater catastrophe" if its appeal went unheeded.

The RSF's recent capture of North Darfur's capital, el-Fasher, left hundreds dead and forced tens of thousands of people to flee reports of atrocities by the paramilitary force, according to aid groups and U.N. officials.

The IOM said nearly 9O,000 people have left el-Fasher and surrounding villages, undertaking a perilous journey through unsafe routes where they have no access to food, water or medical assistance.

Tens of thousands of people have arrived at overcrowded displacement camps in Tawila, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from el-Fasher.

In the camps, the displaced find themselves in barren areas with few tents and insufficient food and medical supplies.

“The meals they provide are simple and we only receive lunch. We need three meals a day.” Sohaiba Omar, 20, told The Associated Press from a shelter in Diba Nayra camp in Tawila.

"We are in urgent need of water, it's more important than anything else right now... We also need toilets, because relieving ourselves in the open exposes us to diseases," she added.

The violence has spread to other parts of Sudan including Western Darfur and the Kordofan region, forcing more people to flee their homes.

Nearly 39,000 people fled the conflict in the North Kordofan from October 26 and November 9, according to the IOM.

The war between the RSF and the military began in 2023 when tensions erupted between the two former allies that were meant to oversee a democratic transition after a 2019 uprising.

The fighting has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and displaced 12 million.

However, aid groups say the true death toll could be many times higher.