Over 3,400 displaced people reach North Darfur’s Tawila facing dire shortages

September 23, 2026 (TAWILA) – More than 3,400 displaced people have arrived in the North Darfur town of Tawila since early September, a Darfur displaced persons group said on Wednesday, warning of severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Tawila has become a primary refuge for families fleeing intense fighting across Darfur, but aid agencies are struggling to mount an effective response as resources run dry.

Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, said 634 families, comprising roughly 3,407 individuals, had reached the area since the start of the month, with the latest wave bringing 121 households.

Most of the new arrivals are women, children, and elderly people, Rijal said. Many families had suffered repeated displacements across North Darfur, fleeing areas such as Turra, Dar es Salam, Dar Semiayat, Alouna, and Kafod before reaching Tawila.

Rijal warned that malnutrition is already spreading among children and mothers, while makeshift settlements lack basic sanitation, clean drinking water, and functioning healthcare centres.

Without latrines, open defecation is widespread, sharply raising the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, acute watery diarrhoea, and typhoid, Rijal added.

The group appealed to United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organizations for an immediate emergency intervention, calling for food aid, clean water, shelter kits, and medical supplies to stave off a catastrophic public health crisis.