Sudan’s Tawila Camp Faces Crisis as Displaced Flee El-Fasher’s Carnage. El-Fasher, Sudan — Amid the turmoil in Sudan, the Tawila refugee camp, located some 50km west of el-Fasher, is addressing a critical situation as thousands flee the violence that has engulfed the city.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group’s seizure of el-Fasher after a 18-month siege has led to widespread displacement, with over 120,000 people, including many already internally displaced, escaping the city.
The journey from el — Fasher, which has been under bombardment and siege, to Tawila is fraught with peril. Montaha Omer Mustafa, 18, shared her harrowing escape with Al Jazeera, detailing how armed men stole everything of value and how she lost her brother during the flight. “Armed men stopped us and stole everything of value, gold, cash and food, “she said from the Tawila camp.
The city, now a “ghost town, “has been described by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as a place where a majority of the civilians were killed or displaced.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that between 70,000 and 100,000 people remain trapped in the city, while the World Food Programme reports that the situation is dire.
The Tawila camp, which has long been a refuge for those fleeing violence in North Darfur, now hosts an estimated 1.
4 million displaced people. “
The weather is very cold. We do not have mattresses to sleep on or blankets to cover ourselves.
We lack food, and getting water is extremely difficult, “Mustafa.
The Sudan Doctors Network has warned of a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, a lack of suitable food for children, and even safe drinking water in Tawila.
The situation has not improved since the warnings were issued in October.
The RSF’s offensive to capture el-Fasher, which began late last year, has been marked by mass atrocities, including the systematic targeting of non-Arab populations, particularly from the Zaghawa and Fur tribes, according to the United Nations and rights groups.
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, has accused the RSF of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the capture of el-Fasher. Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab shows systematic efforts by the RSF to destroy evidence of mass killings.
Further details are expected as the situation in Tawila and el — Fasher continues to evolve.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
