Fierce fighting in Sudan’s North Darfur has tripled the number of displaced people in Tawila this year, the UN migration agency said. Ugochi Daniels, deputy director general at the International Organization for Migration, told the Associated Press that el-Fasher’s population has fallen by 62% as civilians flee violence.
She warned that Sudan now faces the world’s largest displacement crisis, with needs surpassing aid capacity. The surge in displacement follows weeks of intensified battles in el-Fasher, General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army’s final bastion in Darfur.
The city has become a symbol of Sudan’s unraveling, caught between Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces, whose power struggle erupted in 2023 after a failed democratic transition.
The war has killed more than 40,000 people and forced 12 million from their homes, according to the World Health Organization. The World Food Program says 24 million Sudanese face acute hunger as fighting disrupts aid routes and devastates agriculture.
“North Darfur remains the epicentre of the crisis,” Daniels said. “We need peace to reach the areas where needs are greatest.” Sudan’s health system has collapsed under the strain. Hospitals are overwhelmed with disease outbreaks — including cholera, malaria, and dengue — continue to spread.
Since July 2024, Sudan has recorded over 113,000 cholera cases and more than 3,000 deaths, according to WHO. Dengue fever now affects at least 14 provinces.
