Humanitarian crisis in North Darfur worsens as violence spreads - OCHA
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the crisis in Sudan’s North Darfur State is deepening as violence spreads beyond the state capital, El Fasher.
It said in a press release that following the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of the city on 26 October, clashes continue to be reported along key access routes, trapping civilians and cutting off aid.
The latest analysis by the Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab of satellite imagery indicates possible mass body disposals in El Fasher, and the closure of a key escape route once used by civilians.
Nearly 89,000 people have fled El Fasher and nearby villages since 26 October, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Many have sought refuge in the localities of Tawila, Melit and Saraf Omra, while others have travelled to Ad Dabbah in Northern State.
In Tawila and Ad Dabbah, the UN and its partners are providing food, clean water, sanitation, healthcare and psychosocial support, among other life-saving aid, but needs far exceed available resources.
Some families from El Fasher have sought refuge in the locality of Tina, near the Sudan-Chad border, where local volunteers report that more than 3,000 displaced people urgently need food, shelter and healthcare. Across the border in eastern Chad, already overwhelmed host communities and partners are preparing for new arrivals as people continue to seek safety and assistance.
The press release said meanwhile, violence is intensifying in Sudan’s Kordofan region, resulting in mounting civilian casualties and new waves of displacement. WHO says it verified an attack on Dilling Hospital in South Kordofan State on 6 November that killed six people – including a 12-year-old child – and injured 12 others.
WHO notes that this is the 192nd verified attack on health in Sudan since April 2023. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the hospital’s X-ray department was destroyed, severely compromising the facility’s ability to provide medical services – and he repeated WHO’s call for all health facilities, their patients and staff to always be protected.
In neighbouring North Kordofan State, IOM reports that violence reported across the localities of Bara, Sheikan, Ar Rahad, Um Rawaba and Um Dam Haj Ahmed displaced nearly 39,000 people over the prior two weeks. Partners report that more than 10,000 people have sought safety in White Nile State, while others have fled to Omdurman locality in Khartoum State and other parts of North Kordofan.
“Once again, OCHA calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, an end to attacks on hospitals and civilian infrastructure, and safe, unhindered access for aid to reach those in need across Sudan,” the press release said.
-0- PANA AR/MA 11Nov2025
