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United Nations: El Fasher Displaced Face Severe Shortages of Food and Shelter

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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned of dire humanitarian conditions facing thousands of people displaced from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, following the recent wave of violence.

In a statement on Thursday, OCHA said that displaced families in Tawila and surrounding areas are living in extremely harsh conditions, without sufficient access to food, clean water, shelter, or medical care. Humanitarian organizations are working to establish new camps to accommodate the latest arrivals from El Fasher, adding to the more than 650,000 displaced people who had already sought refuge in the area.

In the Tawila Al-Omda camp alone, more than 3,000 newly displaced people are in urgent need of shelter and basic relief items — including plastic sheeting, mats, and blankets — especially as temperatures drop. Many are sleeping in the open, without protection or sanitation facilities.

Similar conditions prevail in the Daba Al Naira and Um Jangour camps, where over 6,500 people who recently fled attacks in El Fasher lack adequate shelter and essential supplies.

A joint UN inter-agency mission, led by Antoine Gérard, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, arrived in Tawila on Tuesday to assess needs, meet affected communities, and strengthen the ongoing humanitarian response.

Meanwhile, humanitarian partners reported that hundreds of displaced families who fled El Fasher on foot have reached Al Dabba locality in Northern State after several days of walking under harsh conditions. Around 2,800 people are now living in overcrowded sites with little access to food, water, or medical care, and many lost family members during their journey.

With more families expected to arrive in the coming days, OCHA stressed the urgent need for assistance, particularly as temperatures continue to drop, warning that available supplies are limited.