Nyala, August 18 (Darfur24)
Authorities in Nyala, South Darfur State, have begun evacuating displaced people from several schools that had been used as shelters, coinciding with the start of the 2026–2027 academic year.
Halima Al-Mahdi, Minister of Social Affairs in the South Darfur Civil Administration, said the decision was taken to clear schools so students could return to classrooms.
Zahra Adam Taha, who fled Khartoum State and supervised the shelter at the Commercial Secondary School, told Darfur24 that authorities evacuated the center and moved displaced families to the Al-Zahra and Al-Salam University dormitories.
She said about 85 families displaced from Khartoum had been staying at the school.
A source in the state’s Ministry of Education and Guidance told Darfur24 that schools used as shelters by displaced people and some regular forces had been evacuated.
The schools include Nyala Secondary School for Boys, Musab Bin Omair Secondary School, Commercial Secondary School and Al-Jir Secondary School for Girls.
The state’s Minister of Education and Guidance previously said the use of schools as shelters was among the main obstacles facing the resumption of education in Nyala.
However, several schools continue to house hundreds of displaced people, including Mahira Girls Secondary School and Al-Miqdad Primary School. Authorities have yet to clarify alternative accommodation for displaced families evacuated from the other schools.
Residents told Darfur24 that some displaced people have moved into abandoned houses near the main Nyala market and city center, while demand for rental housing has increased.
Nyala has received thousands of people fleeing fighting in different parts of Sudan since the outbreak of war, many of whom were initially sheltered in schools and government institutions.