Aid convoys in Sudan are struggling to reach hundreds of thousands of people trapped near the frontlines as the military government and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia fight for control of the country. Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, speaking from Tawila, about 50 kilometres from El Fasher in North Darfur, described the enormous challenges in accessing the area, which required traveling through three countries, three flights, and three days of driving due to multiple active frontlines. Tawila, she noted, has become “one of the epicentres of a humanitarian catastrophe,” hosting approximately 600,000 displaced people, mostly fleeing fighting around the besieged regional capital El Fasher since April. Across Sudan, nearly 12 million people have been uprooted, marking the world’s largest displacement crisis.
El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur under government control, faces a growing threat of falling to the RSF after more than 500 days of siege. Humanitarian groups report that around 260,000 civilians remain trapped without safe exit routes as the RSF builds berms to block movement and supplies, while mines and unexploded ordnance further restrict access. Aid convoys carrying essential food and medicine have been stalled for months, and aid workers have faced direct attacks, with at least 120 killed since the conflict began in April 2023. Denise Brown emphasized the urgent need to stop the violence and allow humanitarian access, noting that aid workers are prepared to assist but cannot operate without security guarantees.
The humanitarian situation on the ground is dire, with malnutrition, cholera, and dengue fever spreading rapidly in overcrowded displacement sites. Supplies of food and clean water are limited, sanitation is poor, and the combination of disease and hunger has created a “combustible situation” for families. Widespread conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and torture, continues unabated, representing a major protection crisis for civilians.
The severity of the crisis is compounded by critical funding shortfalls. Sudan’s $4.2 billion humanitarian plan for 2025 is only 25 percent funded with three months left in the year. Denise Brown stressed that despite the acute needs, resources remain insufficient to provide adequate assistance. Local and international NGOs warn that global inaction is worsening the situation. Civil society groups have issued a joint appeal for urgent humanitarian access and the establishment of evacuation corridors for civilians trapped in El Fasher, stressing that decisive action could still prevent thousands more from being killed.
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