Sudan's Tawila camp lacks shelter for 665,000 displaced people

September 10, 2026 at 05:47 PM2 min

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More than 665,000 displaced people in Sudan's Tawila camp lack adequate shelter, the International Organization for Migration said. Relief teams have erected 3,000 new tents in recent months, but the number is negligible compared with the needs. The arrival of new tents coincided with the rainy season and fires sweeping through displacement camps.

Key Facts

The International Organization for Migration said more than 665,000 displaced people are in Tawila camp.
Relief teams have erected 3,000 new tents in recent months at the Daba Naira camp in Tawila.
Turkiye allocated 30,000 tents to be distributed in Darfur and Kordofan through the IOM.
Abdelbagi Mohamed Hamid, minister of social welfare in Darfur, said 3,000 of 6,000 expected tents were erected in the Daba Naira camp.
The IOM warned of persistent humanitarian needs in Tawila as cholera spreads amid a lack of clean drinking water.

Shelter Shortage

Blue tents stand in tight rows at the Daba Naira camp in Tawila, 68 kilometres west of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The tents were set up by the International Organization for Migration with support from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. Relief teams have erected 3,000 new tents in recent months, but the number is negligible compared with the needs of more than 665,000 displaced people, the IOM said in a statement. The most pressing question remains how this number of tents can possibly be enough for hundreds of thousands of displaced people, especially when rainfall threatens to turn the low-lying ground into swamps.

Aid Promises

Abdelbagi Mohamed Hamid, the minister of social welfare and humanitarian affairs coordinator in the Darfur region, told Al Jazeera Arabic that the regional government appealed to donors, including the Turkish ambassador, to provide tents for the displaced. As a result, Turkiye allocated 30,000 tents to be distributed in Darfur and Kordofan through the IOM. Abdelbagi said 3,000 of 6,000 expected tents were erected in the Daba Naira camp in Tawila. Another 2,450 were delivered to the Salam, al-Wihda and al-Nakheel camps in Shaeria locality in South and East Darfur. The minister said the Malha locality had the greatest need for humanitarian assistance in Darfur, followed by Tina, Karnoy and Um Baru areas.

Worsening Conditions

The arrival of the new tents coincided with the beginning of the rainy season and an outbreak of fires sweeping through displacement camps. Displaced people live under tattered canopies without protection from wind and rain, amid acute shortages of food, clean water and healthcare. The IOM warned of persistent and worsening humanitarian needs in Tawila, as services deteriorate and diseases like cholera spread amid a lack of clean drinking water. The lack of clean water results in watery diarrhoea and skin infections.