Nyala/Al-Daein, May 12 (Darfur24)
Massive fires in East and South Darfur states have killed two children, destroyed more than 120 homes, and displaced dozens of families, amid growing concern over the worsening humanitarian situation and the lack of emergency response services.
In East Darfur State, a huge fire that broke out in Al-Muhajir neighborhood southeast of Al-Daein city destroyed around 62 homes and left dozens of families homeless.
Mohammed Saleh, a resident of the neighborhood, told Darfur24 that the fire erupted on Monday evening and rapidly spread through homes built from local materials, consuming crops, livestock, household furniture, and personal belongings.
He said many families lost everything they owned and are now without shelter or food, blaming the scale of the disaster on the absence of firefighting equipment and weak emergency response services.
Following the incident, youth groups and humanitarian emergency rooms in Al-Daein appealed to the state government, local communities, and aid organizations to intervene urgently by providing shelter, food, and emergency assistance to affected families.
In South Darfur State, eyewitnesses said a separate fire that broke out last Thursday in “Center 10” of Al-Salam displacement camp south of Nyala city killed two children and destroyed more than 60 homes.
Residents identified the victims as nine-year-old Bakhita Hammad Abkar Muhammad and seven-year-old Shadia Omar Muhammad.
Witnesses explained that the children’s parents had gone to work in nearby brick kilns, leaving them with their elderly grandmother, who was unable to rescue them when the fire spread through the camp.
Camp residents said the blaze caused extensive human and material losses and highlighted the vulnerability of displaced communities living in shelters made from highly flammable local materials.
Fires have become increasingly common in Darfur’s displacement camps, neighborhoods, and markets in recent months, causing repeated destruction and civilian deaths amid the absence of civil defense services and firefighting equipment.