At least 400 children have arrived in Tawila after fleeing escalating violence in El Fasher, many without their parents, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported. The organisation said the actual number of unaccompanied children is likely much higher, highlighting the harsh conditions facing those escaping armed groups.
According to the NRC, more than 15,000 new arrivals have been registered in Tawila in recent days. Children are arriving exhausted, traumatised, and often without shelter, blankets, or food after days of walking through the desert. Many were separated from their families amid the chaos, with some reporting direct encounters with armed militias.
Noah Taylor, head of NRC operations in Sudan, said at least 100,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding villages since 26 October, with tens of thousands still unaccounted for. “They have already survived mass atrocities. We cannot fail them now,” he said, stressing the urgent need for aid.
The UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, condemned the “brutal and inhumane” siege of El Fasher that lasted over 500 days, describing the takeover by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as involving systematic violations against children.
“Sudanese children are trapped in one of the most dangerous environments in the world today,” Frazier said, urging all parties to stop targeting civilians and ensure safe humanitarian access. She warned that 15 million children across Sudan now require urgent assistance, calling for immediate delivery of food, medical care, protection, and shelter.
The situation underscores a growing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where protracted conflict and violence continue to endanger the most vulnerable, particularly children, and strain international relief efforts.
