UN warns needs of displaced people in Sudan’s Tawila far exceed available aid

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) said on Monday that the needs of displaced people in Sudan’s Tawila, a town in the state of North Darfur, far outweigh the available resources, urging urgent support to assist those fleeing violence in El-Fasher.

“In Tawila, the UN and partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to the thousands of people seeking safety from violence in El Fasher,” OCHA Sudan said on the US social media platform X.

“However, their needs severely outweigh available resources,” it warned, appealing for “urgent support to provide a lifeline to the displaced people.”

According to OCHA, since Oct. 26, some 82,000 people have fled El-Fasher and surrounding areas, mostly heading toward Tawila.

It said emergency meals, healthcare, water, sanitation, nutrition and psychosocial support are being provided, but more assistance is needed to meet growing humanitarian needs.

The UN office added that mobile clinics are screening children under five for malnutrition and treating severe cases, while “over 30 nutrition sites remain active, alongside community kitchens, cash aid and temporary shelters for displaced families.”

On Oct. 26, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El-Fasher and is accused of committing ethnic-based massacres in the city.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.