North Darfur aid operations on brink of collapse' after RSF capture of El Fasher

"The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El Fasher the capital of North Darfur state and the last urban centre outside of its grasp in the wider Darfur region on 26 October. Survivor accounts and video and satellite evidence suggest more than 1,500 people were killed in ethnically targeted massacres in the immediate aftermath. The International Organization for Migration, a UN agency, said the humanitarian situation in North Darfur had deteriorated in recent weeks."

"Warehouses are nearly empty, aid convoys face significant insecurity, and access restrictions continue to prevent the delivery of sufficient aid. Amy Pope, the IOM director general, said: Our teams are responding, but insecurity and depleted supplies mean we are only reaching a fraction of those in need. Without safe access and urgent funding, humanitarian operations risk grinding to a halt at the very moment communities need support the most."

"The IOM said nearly 90,000 people had left El Fasher and surrounding villages in recent weeks, undertaking a perilous journey through unsafe routes where they have no access to food, water or medical assistance. Tens of thousands have arrived at overcrowded displacement camps in Tawila, about 70km (43 miles) from El Fasher. In the camps, the displaced find themselves in barren areas with few tents and insufficient food and medical supplies."

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, on 26 October. Survivor accounts and imagery suggest more than 1,500 people were killed in ethnically targeted massacres immediately after the capture. Nearly 90,000 people fled El Fasher and surrounding villages, traveling dangerous routes without reliable access to food, water, or medical care. Tens of thousands arrived at overcrowded displacement camps in Tawila, where conditions are barren with few tents and insufficient supplies. Humanitarian operations face collapse as warehouses run nearly empty, convoys face insecurity, access is restricted, and malnutrition in camps has reached staggering levels.

Read at www.theguardian.com