Hundreds of thousands lack adequate shelter at Sudan’s Tawila camp

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Tawila, in North Darfur, has become a major displacement hub as Sudan’s war drives large numbers of people from el-Fasher and surrounding areas. The camp, about 68 kilometres west of el-Fasher, is now hosting roughly 665,000 displaced people, according to the International Organization for Migration, while recent aid efforts have added only a small number of shelters compared with overall need.

The report says relief agencies have erected about 3,000 new tents in recent months, with support tied to Turkish-donated tents distributed through the IOM, but local officials and aid workers say this falls far short of demand. The article describes overcrowded camps, deteriorating sanitation, limited access to clean water and healthcare, and rising cases of cholera, watery diarrhoea and skin infections. The rainy season and camp fires have further damaged fragile shelters.

Displaced residents told Al Jazeera that many families are sleeping on bare ground or in torn tents and struggling to find food and medicine. Humanitarian access remains difficult because of rough terrain, checkpoints and insecurity along key routes. The report also notes that more than 70 percent of households in Tawila lack healthcare, underscoring how shelter shortages are part of a broader emergency involving hunger, disease and shrinking services.

The article adds that Darfur officials are urging donors to expand assistance, reopen the Tina border crossing for aid deliveries and address the risk of famine, which they say could be deadlier than fighting in some areas.