Blue Nile/South Darfur, August 11 (Darfur24)
Fighting and deteriorating security have displaced thousands of people in Blue Nile State and driven more than 135 families from the Central African Republic into South Darfur, amid growing humanitarian needs.
The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix said about 2,500 people, or roughly 500 families, had been displaced from Qaysan in Blue Nile State. Most fled to other areas within the locality, while some crossed into Ethiopia seeking safety.
The displacement followed the announcement by the “Ta’sis” alliance that its forces had captured Qaysan, about 170 kilometers southeast of Damazin, after fighting with the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces.
In a statement, the alliance claimed to have seized military positions, weapons, and equipment and pursued withdrawing forces, inflicting casualties, without providing figures. It described the capture of Qaysan as a new phase in its military operations and pledged to secure the town and restore basic services.
Meanwhile, more than 135 families fleeing fighting in the Central African Republic have arrived in the Sindama border area of South Darfur State, according to local officials.
Sindama official Abu Al-Qasim Abdullah Ajawid said most of the arrivals were women, children, and elderly people. A temporary camp has been established outside the area, with residents providing initial assistance.
Zakaria Youssef, a representative of the arrivals, said the families fled fighting in Dangouri, near Umm Dafuq, and walked for days through difficult terrain, heavy rain, and flooded valleys. Some reportedly took about two weeks to reach Sudan.
He appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance, including food, drinking water, shelter materials, and mosquito nets.
Medical worker Bashir Abdullah Ajawid said the area was also facing a shortage of medicines and health facilities, with rising cases of schistosomiasis among residents and newly arrived families.
Sharif Al-Sawar Ali, an official with the Sudanese Relief and Humanitarian Operations Agency, also appealed to international organizations to assist the newcomers, particularly hundreds of children in need of food, water, medicine, and shelter.
Sindama lies south of Rahad Al-Bardi, about 160 kilometers southwest of Nyala, along Sudan’s border with the Central African Republic.