Latest news with #Tawila
Zawya
11-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Sudan: Surge in Darfur displacement pushes Tawila into full-scale crisis, cholera spreading
A massive increase in people fleeing to Tawila in North Darfur over the last three months is propelling the small town into a full-scale humanitarian crisis. With the rainy season starting, hundreds of thousands of people who just barely escaped horror are bracing themselves for torrential storms, cholera outbreak and spiralling hunger. Since April 2025, Tawila, has absorbed nearly 379,000 people fleeing repeated campaigns of mass destruction and year long siege on Zamzam Camp and Al Fasher, where famine has also been confirmed. Most are women (70 per cent), children, and people with disabilities, arriving into camps, mostly on foot after days of fleeing for their lives. Four new camps were set up to cope with the spiralling numbers and humanitarian organisations are overwhelmed, with prepositioned aid ahead of the rainy season already depleted. 'The situation in Tawila is collapsing,' said NRC's Sudan Country Director Shashwat Saraf. 'Families are surviving on scraps, sleeping in the dirt under roofs made out of straw, with barely any access to clean water and toilets. Cases of cholera are rising, and the rainy season is approaching fast, making living conditions more miserable.' NRC's June 2025 assessment across four new camps in Tawila housing 213,000 people confirms: Lack of access to water: only 21,000 people, or 10 per cent, have reliable water access. Latrine shortages: approximately 2,684 households, or less than 10 per cent, have access to latrines, while 31,238 households are without access. Severe food shortages: most families report that they are eating one meal a day or less. Lack of schools: only 11 temporary learning spaces means that many children are unable to attend classes. Major protection concerns: 39 per cent of women are pregnant or lactating, 22 per cent of households include persons with disabilities, and there is a lack of proper services and support Uncertain future: 60 per cent of the people in the camps say they are intending to stay long-term, yet 27 per cent have no plan, reflecting fear and uncertainty. The families in the camps have been fleeing scenes of extreme violence: April's raid on Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps left up to 400 dead, many raped, aid workers killed, and survivors risking their lives to flee into Tawila in desperation. Since April 2023, 782,000 people have been displaced from Al Fasher and Zamzam, including nearly 500,000 in April – May 2025 alone. A separate assessment by aid agencies and local authorities in Al Fasher found 38 per cent of children under 5 at displacement sites suffer from acute malnutrition, 11 percent with severe acute malnutrition. 'The window for saving thousands of lives is closing fast,' Saraf added. 'We need funding and decisive action from the world's leaders to get aid trucks and relief teams to Tawila – without delays and restrictions from the warring parties – before this spirals completely out of control.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Zawya
10-07-2025
- General
- Zawya
Sudan: Children reveal harrowing violence in latest North Darfur mass displacement
Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment ' Children Caught in Conflict ', with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures. Hundreds of children have recounted harrowing stories of terror and loss after their homes in Sudan's North Darfur region were attacked, with many telling Save the Children how they lost contact with friends and loved ones [1]. Violence is happening daily in North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan's two-year conflict, with fighting intensifying over the past 12 months and spiking in April this year when the Zamzam camp housing people forced from their homes was viciously attacked. Nearly 500,000 people – including 260,000 children – were displaced from Zamzam camp between April and May, which amounts to 99% of the camp's population. About 75% of the displaced people ended up in the Tawila camp [2], which is located around 60km southeast of Zamzam. Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment ' Children Caught in Conflict', with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures. Many children witnessed killings and dead bodies in the streets, with some reporting witnessing young people being arrested or killed, and more than half of the girls interviewed (53%) reported incidents of sexual violence during their journey out of Zamzam to Tawila. Three children reported that their mothers died during the journey to Tawila, while four others said they lost a brother, and five reported the death of their fathers. Some children recounted supporting elderly relatives travelling long distances on donkeys, with others saying they were forced to leave behind exhausted family members under threat of violence. Salma*, 12, originally from El Fasher, was displaced twice — first to Zamzam, then to Tawila. She described witnessing rape, killings, and looting along the road. Her grandfather died during the journey due to exhaustion and lack of care. Upon arrival in Tawila, her family had no food or shelter and slept in the open. Talha*, 12, was fetching water for his family when the Zamzam camp came under attack. He witnessed shootings, and widespread panic. He ran home to find his family but discovered the house empty. He searched the schools where people were hiding but couldn't find them. Believing his family had fled to Tawila, Talha followed the crowds on foot. After arriving, he stayed with a host family for seven days before they too left, leaving him alone. Talha told the survey team his only wish is to return to El Fasher and reunite with his family — though he doesn't know if they are still alive. While some children said they feel relatively safe in Tawila, many — especially girls — expressed deep grief over the loss of family members and fear of ongoing violence. Children cited poor living conditions, including sleeping on the ground, extreme heat, food shortages, and the presence of armed individuals, as sources of distress. Girls reported high levels of fear and vulnerability, particularly when using toilets or traveling long distances for water. Many shared that friends were raped during displacement or in the camps. Both boys and girls acknowledged a rise in sexual violence, with girls aged 12–18 being the most affected. Boys were also aware of the abuse experienced by their sisters and peers. Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programmes and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan, said: 'Children in North Darfur have been to hell and back. They are grieving deeply, while contemplating uncertain futures. Many lost family members before and during their displacement, and don't have adequate tools to process their experiences. Some children have described to our staff harrowing experiences of parting with older family members on the route, many of whom they haven't seen since. 'Since the conflict began, children's lives have been upended. They now wake to the sound of gunfire and shelling. Families dig trenches for protection, schools are closed, and access to healthcare is limited. Many children reported that their peers have joined armed groups or been forced into early marriage due to economic hardship. 'Children's rights have been completely ignored in Sudan. They are being separated from their families, seeing loved ones killed or maimed, and have already missed years of critical education, with terrible consequences for their long-term well-being. We are incredibly concerned for these children's futures – and the future of Sudan – if this conflict doesn't end now.' Save the Children is urging the international community to redouble efforts to demand a ceasefire in Sudan, to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance. Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan. Since April 2025, Save the Children has been leading a major humanitarian response in North Darfur, addressing the urgent needs of displaced populations following mass displacement from Zamzam camp and El Fasher. With hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons across the region, Save the Children has scaled up operations in El Fasher, Tawila and Central Darfur, delivering life-saving services in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, protection, and shelter. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Losing a baby, rescuing a child and dodging air strikes in Sudan's civil war
Aged just 19, Alawia Babiker Ahmed miscarried as she was fleeing on foot the devastating war that has ravaged Sudan's western region of Darfur. "I was bleeding on the way," she told the BBC, before hastening to add that she saw people who were "worse off" during her traumatic three-day walk of about 70km (45 miles) from the besieged city of el-Fasher to the small town of Tawila. Dodging air strikes and militiamen after her miscarriage, Alawia said she and her family came across an infant crying for his mother, who lay dead by the roadside. Alawia said she picked up the child and took him with her: "We covered the mother and kept going." Sudan has been wracked by a civil war since fighting broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, causing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises with more than 12 million people forced to flee their homes. Darfur has been a major flashpoint, with the RSF controlling most of the region - except for the city of el-Fasher that has remained in the hands of the army and its allies. El-Fasher has come under intense bombardment as the RSF tries to seize it. In April it announced plans to form a government to rival the one established by the army, raising fears that it could lead to Sudan's partition. Alawia said that as the bombing intensified last month, she and her family were forced to flee and walk to Tawila, west of el-Fasher. Her brother, Marwan Mohamed Adam, 21, told the BBC that he was assaulted along the way by RSF-allied gangs - including being "beaten on my neck, arm and leg" and robbed of the few belongings that he was carrying. Marwan added that his life was spared only because he lied to the gangs about where he had come from. He said the attackers took away and "executed" young men who revealed they were from el-Fasher, so when he was interrogated he claimed that he was from Shaqra, a stopover on the way to Tawila. "You feel fear, you feel like you are already dead," the 21-year-old told the BBC, adding that he saw three bodies on the way. Another woman, Khadija Ismail Ali, told the BBC that "bodies were scattered all over the streets". She said 11 members of her family were killed during the shelling of el-Fasher, and three children died during their four-day journey from the city to Tawila. "The children died from thirst along the way," Khadija said. Her family's village, el-Tarkuniya, was attacked last September by RSF-allied militias, who stole their harvest. They fled to the famine-stricken Zamzam camp, and then to el-Fasher and now to Tawila. Medical charity Alima said the gunmen took the land and farms of most families when attacking villages. Severe malnutrition, especially among children arriving in Tawila, had reached an alarming level, it added. Alawia said her sister dropped the little food they were carrying while fleeing the air strikes and shelling that they encountered after passing Shaqra. "It was leftover beans with a little salt we had carried in our hands to feed the children," she said. Without food or water, they trudged on and met a woman who told them they could find water in a nearby village. The family set off after midnight for the village, but little did they know that they were walking into an area controlled by RSF fighters. "We greeted them, but they did not answer. They told us to sit on the ground and they searched our belongings," Alawia recalled. The fighters took the 20,000 Sudanese pounds ($33; £24) that was all the family still had, along with the clothes and shoes that they were carrying. "My shoes weren't good, but they still took them," Alawia said. She added that the RSF gunmen refused to give them water, so they all pressed on until they reached el-Koweim village. There, they spotted a well guarded by RSF fighters. "We asked for water for at least the orphaned child, but they refused," Alawia said, adding that she tried to push her way to the well, but the men assaulted her and beat her back. Thirsty and exhausted, the family kept walking until reaching Tawila, where Alawia said she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. She was discharged after being treated. Marwan was also treated for the injuries he had sustained during the beating. Alawia said they then searched for relatives of the infant they had rescued, and after finding some of them, handed over the child. Alawia and her family are now living in Tawila, where a family has welcomed them into its home. "Life is OK, thank God, but we worry about the future," Alawia told the BBC. Marwan said he wanted to go abroad so that he could continue with his education and start a new life. This is something that millions of Sudanese have done, as their lives have been shattered by a war that shows no sign of ending. Sudan in danger of self-destructing Fear, loss and hope in Sudan's ruined capital From prized artworks to bullet shells: how war devastated Sudan's museums Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sudan civil war: Losing a baby, rescuing a child and dodging air strikes in Darfur
Aged just 19, Alawia Babiker Ahmed miscarried as she was fleeing on foot the devastating war that has ravaged Sudan's western region of Darfur."I was bleeding on the way," she told the BBC, before hastening to add that she saw people who were "worse off" during her traumatic three-day walk of about 70km (45 miles) from the besieged city of el-Fasher to the small town of Tawila. Dodging air strikes and militiamen after her miscarriage, Alawia said she and her family came across an infant crying for his mother, who lay dead by the roadside. Alawia said she picked up the child and took him with her: "We covered the mother and kept going." Sudan has been wracked by a civil war since fighting broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, causing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises with more than 12 million people forced to flee their homes. Darfur has been a major flashpoint, with the RSF controlling most of the region - except for the city of el-Fasher that has remained in the hands of the army and its has come under intense bombardment as the RSF tries to seize it. In April it announced plans to form a government to rival the one established by the army, raising fears that it could lead to Sudan's partition. Alawia said that as the bombing intensified last month, she and her family were forced to flee and walk to Tawila, west of el-Fasher. Her brother, Marwan Mohamed Adam, 21, told the BBC that he was assaulted along the way by RSF-allied gangs - including being "beaten on my neck, arm and leg" and robbed of the few belongings that he was added that his life was spared only because he lied to the gangs about where he had come from. He said the attackers took away and "executed" young men who revealed they were from el-Fasher, so when he was interrogated he claimed that he was from Shaqra, a stopover on the way to Tawila. "You feel fear, you feel like you are already dead," the 21-year-old told the BBC, adding that he saw three bodies on the woman, Khadija Ismail Ali, told the BBC that "bodies were scattered all over the streets". She said 11 members of her family were killed during the shelling of el-Fasher, and three children died during their four-day journey from the city to Tawila. "The children died from thirst along the way," Khadija said. Her family's village, el-Tarkuniya, was attacked last September by RSF-allied militias, who stole their harvest. They fled to the famine-stricken Zamzam camp, and then to el-Fasher and now to charity Alima said the gunmen took the land and farms of most families when attacking villages. Severe malnutrition, especially among children arriving in Tawila, had reached an alarming level, it said her sister dropped the little food they were carrying while fleeing the air strikes and shelling that they encountered after passing Shaqra."It was leftover beans with a little salt we had carried in our hands to feed the children," she said. Without food or water, they trudged on and met a woman who told them they could find water in a nearby village. The family set off after midnight for the village, but little did they know that they were walking into an area controlled by RSF fighters."We greeted them, but they did not answer. They told us to sit on the ground and they searched our belongings," Alawia fighters took the 20,000 Sudanese pounds ($33; £24) that was all the family still had, along with the clothes and shoes that they were carrying."My shoes weren't good, but they still took them," Alawia added that the RSF gunmen refused to give them water, so they all pressed on until they reached el-Koweim village. There, they spotted a well guarded by RSF fighters. "We asked for water for at least the orphaned child, but they refused," Alawia said, adding that she tried to push her way to the well, but the men assaulted her and beat her and exhausted, the family kept walking until reaching Tawila, where Alawia said she collapsed and was rushed to was discharged after being treated. Marwan was also treated for the injuries he had sustained during the beating. Alawia said they then searched for relatives of the infant they had rescued, and after finding some of them, handed over the child. Alawia and her family are now living in Tawila, where a family has welcomed them into its home."Life is OK, thank God, but we worry about the future," Alawia told the BBC. Marwan said he wanted to go abroad so that he could continue with his education and start a new is something that millions of Sudanese have done, as their lives have been shattered by a war that shows no sign of ending. More BBC stories on Sudan war: Sudan in danger of self-destructingFear, loss and hope in Sudan's ruined capitalFrom prized artworks to bullet shells: how war devastated Sudan's museums Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Asharq Al-Awsat
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudan's RSF Says It Has Not Been Officially Notified of Humanitarian Truce in El Fasher
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had not received any official request from international actors to implement a humanitarian truce in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where thousands of civilians remain trapped and at risk of famine. The statement came a day after Sudanese army chief and head of the ruling Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, agreed to a week-long ceasefire in El Fasher at the request of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. RSF legal adviser Mohamed al-Mukhtar al-Nour told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group rejects any partial or full ceasefire, whether in El Fasher or elsewhere. He said the RSF had not received formal communication from the UN or the United States regarding the proposed truce. According to al-Nour, El Fasher is now largely deserted, with most civilians having fled to areas such as Tawila, Karma, and Jebel Marra. Those remaining in the city, he claimed, are Sudanese Armed Forces personnel and allied fighters from armed movements supporting the army. El Fasher has been the focal point of intense fighting in recent weeks, raising alarm among humanitarian agencies about the safety of civilians and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
