(Adnkronos) – The crisis in North Darfur is escalating into a humanitarian catastrophe. Save the Children urgently calls on all parties to agree to a ceasefire and allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access. In a statement, the organization recounts mothers who, after walking for four days to escape the growing violence in El Fasher, arrived in Tawila in desperate need of help, reporting that they had been attacked by armed men on motorcycles and some robbed along the way. The women who managed to flee with their children while fighting raged walked the 70 kilometers separating El Fasher from Tawila without food or water and now depend on humanitarian aid, which was already insufficient before the latest escalation of violence in North Darfur.
The women told Save the Children staff how they were attacked during the dangerous journey by armed men; some witnessed the killing of their neighbors and relatives, others were robbed of their belongings. The city of El Fasher has been under siege for over 500 days. On Sunday, media and local sources reported serious atrocities as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took full control of the city, where humanitarian workers operate under extreme risk. Humanitarian agencies, in a joint statement released this week, warned of the impending catastrophe in El Fasher and called for access for humanitarian and commercial aid and safe, unhindered passage for civilians wishing to leave the city.
More than 260,000 people – including approximately 130,000 children – remain trapped in the city, forced to endure famine-like conditions, the total collapse of health services, and the inability to find a safe escape route. According to the United Nations, approximately 26,000 people have fled El Fasher. Communication channels remain interrupted, but reliable sources report summary executions of civilians attempting to flee, attacks on escape routes, and house-to-house raids.
Save the Children has rapidly scaled up operations, providing shelter, food, water, and hygiene services, but has called for a rapid increase in funding to meet growing needs. “The crisis in North Darfur is escalating into a humanitarian catastrophe that the world cannot afford to ignore. Reliable sources report summary executions, door-to-door killings of civilians, and desperate families trapped in an increasingly tight siege with no way out. Children are starving, hospitals have been closed or destroyed, and those attempting to flee face extreme violence and unimaginable dangers. Hundreds of thousands of girls and boys are exposed to the immediate risk of violence, hunger, and disease. We urgently call on all parties to agree to a ceasefire, respect international humanitarian law, and allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian workers,” said Francesco Lanino, Deputy Director of Programs and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan.
Since the siege of El Fasher began in April 2024, Save the Children has significantly scaled up its humanitarian response in Tawila and Jabal Marra, in Central and North Darfur. The Organization has reached over 224,000 internally displaced people fleeing violence and insecurity, providing support to newly arrived families, host communities, and conflict-affected populations. In Tawila and across North Darfur, Save the Children operates four health facilities and an expanding mobile health platform, while in Jabal Marra it manages seven health facilities and three mobile clinics.
