People fleeing fighting and deteriorating security conditions in Sudan’s North Kordofan State have arrived in Tawila, North Darfur, according to a local authority affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur.
Tawila is about 60km west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Tawila is hosting more than 700,000 internally displaced people, according to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix.
The Civil Authority said several displacement camps in Tawila had received newly displaced families from El Obeid and other parts of North Kordofan.
It said many of those arriving had spent weeks travelling to Tawila, facing shortages of food and water, insecurity and limited access to transport and basic services.
Maryam Abdel Karim, who said she was displaced from the Khor Taqat area of El Obeid, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that she left the city because of worsening security and living conditions.
She said the journey to Tawila took 25 days, with displaced families travelling by donkey and other pack animals.
“We arrived in Tawila and were received here, but we are suffering from exhaustion, hunger, thirst and a shortage of shelter materials,” she said.
Ishaq Ahmed Ishaq, another displaced resident, said his family left El Obeid with women and children and faced difficulties during the journey, including shortages of food and water and insecurity.
“We reached Tawila and felt safe, but we are suffering from shortages of food and basic services,” he said.
Ibrahim Hamouda, who said he was displaced from the Kweim area of North Kordofan, said the conflict had forced residents to leave their homes and move through several areas before reaching Tawila.
The Civil Authority said the newly arrived families needed food, drinking water, shelter materials and other basic services.
The latest arrivals add to the displacement from conflict-affected parts of Kordofan and other areas of Sudan, where the war has disrupted access to food, water, shelter and other essential services.
At a Sept. 7 session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, speakers warned of a deteriorating security situation in the Kordofan region, including El Obeid, amid increased drone attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
El Obeid has been under partial siege by the RSF, with residents facing repeated drone attacks and disruptions to essential services, including water and electricity.
and then