Sudanese families fleeing border villages in the Central African Republic have arrived in Umm Dafuq, South Darfur, amid worsening insecurity and violence. Local authorities confirmed hundreds crossed into the Al-Quba area northwest of the town, where they now endure rain-soaked nights without shelter.
Mayor Issa Mohammed Ahmed said the displaced sleep on bare ground in heavy downpours, lacking food, tents, and even basic protection. He warned the suffering is intensifying as food shortages deepen, urging swift action to prevent a humanitarian disaster unfolding along Sudan’s fragile frontier.
Activists in Umm Dafuq appealed for urgent government intervention, stressing that families stranded inside the Central African Republic also remain at grave risk. The Rapid Support Forces, who control South Darfur, deployed troops to the Al-Quba gathering site, citing the need to secure returnees’ settlements.
The border crisis stems from overlapping threats, including Russian Wagner operations and intercommunal fighting between the Kara and Sudanese tribes. Clashes have pushed communities from their ancestral homes, scattering families across rain-soaked terrain and leaving them dependent on aid that has yet to arrive.
Residents fear worsening instability could trigger further flight, straining fragile towns and deepening the humanitarian emergency across Darfur’s already fractured landscape. For those who made it to Umm Dafuq, survival now rests on swift relief efforts—food, shelter, and protection before the rains consume hope.
