El Fasher — Darfur remains one of the main epicentres of the war that has ravaged Sudan since 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than three years after the outbreak of hostilities, the humanitarian and health situation continues to deteriorate. Civilians are exposed to violence, mass displacement, hunger and disease.

The RSF controls much of Darfur. The capture of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, was accompanied by serious acts of violence against civilians (see Fides, 27/10/2025). The United Nations has reported mass killings and sexual violence, particularly against members of some non-Arab communities.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced more than 13 million people to flee their homes across Sudan. The risk of famine also persists in several areas of Darfur and Kordofan. The external support networks backing the two rival factions continue to fuel military operations, further complicating an already dire situation.

As the emergency worsens, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an urgent increase in funding for health and humanitarian assistance. The organization has also stressed the need to ensure safe, continuous and unimpeded humanitarian access, which is essential to enable aid workers to reach the most vulnerable communities and scale up their response. Needs in Darfur now far exceed available resources.

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The situation is particularly severe in Tawila, where more than 700,000 displaced people face critical shortages in healthcare and nutrition services, as well as inadequate supplies of food and water, poor sanitation and insufficient protection. Tawila is one of the starkest manifestations of an emergency affecting Darfur as a whole. Persistent insecurity, forced displacement, inadequate essential infrastructure and recurrent disease outbreaks are putting millions of people at risk.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Darfur is home to approximately 65% of the 8.6 million internally displaced people in Sudan.

The effects of adverse climatic conditions are compounding the impact of the war. Scarce rainfall recorded in 2026 has severely damaged crops, particularly in North and West Darfur. The resulting decline in water availability has increased water prices and forced many communities to travel increasingly long distances to obtain supplies. This trend risks further exacerbating food and water insecurity and could persist into 2027.

Disease outbreaks, including diarrhoea and malaria, have also been reported in displacement camps in South Darfur, where aid remains particularly limited. Inadequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation and medical care is increasing the risk of a further public health emergency.

Darfur stretches along much of Sudan's western border and has become the principal theatre of the war between the SAF and the RSF. For millions of civilians, the conflict is no longer merely an immediate threat to their safety, but a prolonged struggle to secure the basic conditions necessary for survival.