Darfur: Life Amidst the Trinity of War, Rain, and Epidemics

Sudanese Media Forum
Darfur, June 25, 2025, (Moatinoon) – For five consecutive days, the Jebel Marra and Tawila regions in North and Central Darfur witnessed heavy and continuous rains, which flooded the camps of displaced persons (IDPs), exacerbating the situation and causing heavy losses, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees. These losses are in addition to the losses incurred in the recent war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The Refugee Coordination warned of the widespread spread of epidemics and infectious diseases, such as cholera, malaria, and malnutrition, due to the severe shortage of sanitation services and medical personnel in the camps and IDP camps, which are already suffering from difficult conditions and critical conditions that will be exacerbated by the expected rainfall this fall, especially during the months of June through October.

Amid the ongoing siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, and the worsening humanitarian situation resulting from ongoing military operations, food shortages, and exorbitant prices, tens of thousands of displaced people in Darfur, particularly in the relatively safe areas of Tawila and Jebel Marra, are facing a escalating humanitarian disaster. With the onset of autumn and the onset of heavy rains, the displaced, who fled the ravages of war and the horrific fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, are suffering from harsh living conditions, lacking even the most basic necessities of life, including shelter materials, blankets, medicine, and tents.

These dire conditions have prompted international organizations to classify the situation as "the greatest humanitarian disaster." Adam Rijal, the official spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, describes the conditions in the large IDP camps in Jebel Marra, Tawila, and other areas of Darfur as "tragic and bitter." He confirms that residents of El Fasher and the camps are suffering from catastrophic humanitarian conditions, as food prices have risen beyond their purchasing power, amid a lack of cash and the spread of crisis trading.

Rijal adds that the danger is not limited to heavy rains alone, but extends to the spread of diseases resulting from them, particularly affecting children, women, and the elderly. The specter of hunger, famine, malnutrition, and thirst continues to threaten children, pregnant and lactating women, in addition to the severe scarcity of shelter materials.

The latest statistics indicate that the number of people fleeing to Tawila alone is estimated at more than 700,000, who face severe shortages of food and services. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has confirmed that hundreds of people fleeing the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps in Darfur are facing catastrophic conditions. Tawila, located 55 kilometers west of El Fasher, and Jebel Marra are under the control of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur. Both areas have recently become destinations for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the escalating violence in North Darfur.

Violations and Calls for Assistance
In a statement dated June 17, 2025, the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps described the situation in Darfur as "almost completely torn apart," warning of the situation spiraling out of control and a looming humanitarian catastrophe. The Coordination called on the United Nations, its agencies, and international organizations to intensify their efforts to address these dire humanitarian conditions, especially with the continued daily displacement from El Fasher to Tawila and Jebel Marra, which have become the largest displacement centers in the ongoing conflict.

According to a statement from the Coordination Committee, serious violations were documented on the road between El Fasher and Tawila, including 95 cases of gender-based violence, 15 deaths from hunger and thirst, 24 cases of psychological trauma, 17 cases of direct gunfire, and three individual killings in the Kass area and four in the Bendis area.

The statement also warned of the spread of serious diseases, such as cholera, malaria, and malnutrition among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as infections and other diseases, amid a severe shortage of medical personnel and sanitation problems that constitute a source of epidemics.

Adam Rijal reiterated the continued serious human rights violations due to the social fabric being torn apart by the war, which has spawned new terms and phrases that deepen hate speech and divide the country based on the narrow interests of a group that benefits from the conflict. The warring parties continue to commit atrocities. Rapid Support Forces shell Abu Shouk camp daily, killing and wounding dozens, while Sudanese military forces launch airstrikes on populated areas across Darfur, using internationally banned heavy weapons.

Stories from the Heart of Suffering
A woman from El Fasher recounts the details of her arduous three-day journey on foot, initially using donkey carts to transport some belongings. She then passed through dangerous areas such as Shekho and Qurna, where she was forced to live in the open. Ihsan Mohammed Abdullah, a displaced woman from El Fashers Al-Thawra neighborhood, said she fled amid heavy gunfire and random raids. She was subjected to looting, theft, and thirst during her passage through Qurna, before using trucks with the elderly and children to reach Tawila, where they all settled in tents awaiting humanitarian aid. Similarly, Mishkat Adam, a displaced woman from El Fasher to Jebel Marra, complains about the lack of medicine and sanitation services in her new camp, which she reached after an arduous journey marked by hunger, thirst, and prolonged displacement.

Challenges
Meanwhile, the influx of refugees from Sudan into neighboring Chad continues. UNICEF has indicated that more than 700,000 Sudanese refugee children have arrived in Chad alone. Since fighting broke out in Sudan in April 2023, more than two million children have been displaced by the brutal war. Children constitute 61% of the 860,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad and 68% of the 274,000 Chadian returnees. As one of the poorest countries in the world and with the fourth highest child mortality rate, Chad faces enormous challenges amid the refugee crisis. Measles and malnutrition are widespread, and the risk of a cholera epidemic spreading from Sudan remains high.

"Hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable children are bearing the brunt of the war in Sudan and the lack of basic services for those who have fled to Chad," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell after a visit to Chad that concluded on June 23, where she met with refugee children and displaced families. Russell described the plight of women and children arriving in eastern Chad: "They arrived with horrific memories of killings, mass rapes, and burning homes." She also visited newly arrived families in Adré, an overcrowded border town now hosting six refugees for every resident, where only one in three children is enrolled in school, and basic services are on the brink.

The UNHCR indicates that more than 844,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into Chad since the war began in April 2023, in addition to the 409,000 who fled previous waves of conflict in Darfur since 2003. The UNHCR reported that the number of refugees has tripled since the intensification of attacks on civilians in North Darfur. Nearly 69,000 people have arrived in Chad in just over a month, with an average of 1,400 crossing the border daily. The Sudanese Media Forum and its member institutions publish this article prepared by the newspaper (Citizens) to reflect the humanitarian crisis and violations in the Darfur region, where fighting and clashes are taking place, especially in the areas of North Darfur, where waves of displacement continue due to the escalation of bombing and violence.