Sudan
Displaced people living in Sudan’s Tawila camp find little joy in Eid celebrations as they struggle to meet their basic needs.
As Sudan celebrated the first day of Eid on Friday, displaced people at North Darfur’s Tawila camp gathered for prayers.
Most of the people there fled the state capital El Fasher when it was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in October.
For them, the holiday brings no relief.
“How can we celebrate Eid when our country is devastated?” asks Tayseer Adam, a displaced woman living in Tawila. “How can we experience the Eid atmosphere when our hearts are heavy with sorrow? We are deeply saddened because we have lost so many people, may God grant us patience.”
The RSF capture of El Fasher was marked by horrific violence, as the militants drove out the Sudanese Armed Forces. Tens of thousands of residents were reportedly executed in what rights groups have called a ‘genocidal slaughter.’
Those who managed to escape fled to Tawila.
“Where is the Eid? We lost all our family in the shelling of El Fasher, we can’t comprehend everything that has happened,” says Eman Mansour, another displaced woman living in Tawila. “This Eid is sad, as if it isn’t Eid at all, there are no families left.”
Tawila is now home to more than a million displaced people. But with growing needs and diminishing funding, aid groups are struggling to respond. The sprawling network of camps is facing a shortage of medical supplies, adequate food and safe drinking water.
Marwa Issa Mohamed, is also living in Tawila camp after fleeing her home:
“We call on humanitarian organisations to support the people here — to provide shelter and essential supplies, to care for our children and meet their needs. We also ask them to recognise that women face particular challenges, and that we urgently need services tailored to us.”
Since fighting broke out between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces in April 2023, tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 11 million displaced, according to the United Nations. Across Sudan an estimated 34 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
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