Tawila’s Growing IDP Crisis: Health, Shelter, and Water Shortages

The situation in Tawila (North Darfur) has reached a tipping point. According to the latest on-ground verification by the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) and partner assessments, Tawila is now home to 652,079 IDPs across 32 locations, the highest figure for any locality in Sudan. Nearly three-quarters of that population are living in informal gathering sites. Crucially, 57 % are children, and around 25 % of the total population are under five years old.

On top of these demographic pressures, the influx from El Fasher surged again between 26th and 28th October 2025, with roughly 2,500 – 3,000 arrivals on 26 Oct, 26,030 on 27 Oct, and 7,455 on 28 Oct, and continuing arrivals through 29 Oct. This massive, rapid displacement is colliding with deep-seated gaps in healthcare, Ntrition, WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) and shelter, creating an urgent humanitarian emergency. 

>> Related Post: From El-Fasher to Tawila: How SAPA is Saving Lives in North Darfur’s Deepening Crisis

Tawila Crisis Developments: Scale & Speed

Displacement magnitude and profile

• 652,079 people were displaced in Tawila across 32 locations.
• About 74 % live in informal gathering sites (not formal camps). This is an indicator of extremely strained infrastructure.
• 57 % of the displaced are children; about a quarter are under five, signalling an extremely high-risk population.
• The recent surge of new arrivals from El Fasher was as follows: 2,500 – 3,000 (26 Oct), 26,030 (27 Oct), 7,455 (28 Oct).
  

Causes of displacement

• The collapse of basic services and widespread violence in El Fasher have forced civilians to flee, heading towards Tawila in search of safety. 
• The sheer volume of arrivals is overwhelming existing local capacities and hampering any stable humanitarian footing.
  
  

The Service Gaps: Health, Shelter & Water Under Strain

Health & Nutrition

• 72 % of households in the affected populations reported needing healthcare in the past three months, while 50% could not obtain treatment.
• Top illnesses: Malaria (70 %), respiratory infections (45%), diarrhoeal disease (27%).
• 39 % report a travel time of over one hour to reach the nearest functioning health facility.
• In camps such as Dab Naira and surrounding spontaneous settlements, SAPA verified no midwives or trained health personnel, a clinic capacity of 70 patients/day, and severely limited EPI (immunisation) & nutrition services.
  

WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene)

• Only 33 % of households are using improved water sources.
• 75 % of households rely on surface water, and 50 % are forced to reduce water intake because of scarcity.
• Many sites lack latrines, bathing facilities, or safe sanitation infrastructure.
  

Shelter, Non-Food Items (NFIs) & Protection

• 43 % of households report collapsed or unsafe shelters.
• 98 % lack basic bedding or bed-nets, leaving people exposed.
• Overcrowding is extreme: 74 % in informal gathering sites, which drives exposure, loss of privacy, and heightened risk of gender-based violence (GBV).
  

Food Security & Market Access

• Nearly 48 % of households are classified as having poor food consumption; another 38 % are borderline.
  
• 55 % require more than 60 minutes to reach a functioning market, limiting diet diversity and access to essential goods.
  
  

>> Act today. Donate to SAPA. Be the lifeline for families in Tawila.

SAPA’s Integrated Response in Tawila

Deploying Mobile & Fixed Health Services

• SAPA is supporting fixed clinics and working to expand capacity beyond the current 70 patients/day in many settings.
• Mobile primary care and maternal health teams are being deployed at arrival sites and informal settlements to reach newly displaced families immediately.
• Nutrition screening and therapeutic feeding are part of the health package, with a focus on children under five and pregnant/lactating women.
  

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Interventions

• Emergency provision of safe drinking water: chlorination, new water-points, and water-storage options for informal gathering sites.
• Latrine and bathing-facility installations, especially in sites with zero sanitation infrastructure.
• Hygiene-kit distribution (soap, water-purification tablets) + health-education outreach on disease prevention.
  

Coordination & Advocacy

• SAPA is coordinating with UN/IOM partners and local authorities to map high-density arrival sites, prioritise service delivery, and fund flexible responses.
• Advocacy efforts are ongoing to keep humanitarian access routes open and ensure that funding is rapidly allocated to multi-sectoral humanitarian relief.
  

The Role of Donors & Global Support

Your support is the enabler. Donations enable SAPA to:

• Scale mobile health teams and increase clinic capacity.
• Build water and sanitation infrastructure before disease outbreaks take hold.
• Provide dignified shelter to families living with collapsed roofs or zero protection.
• Reach newly arrived children and mothers before malnutrition spirals further.
  
  

>> Donate now to help SAPA translate urgency into life-saving action.

FAQs

1. How many people are currently displaced in Tawila?

As of late October 2025, approximately 652,079 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are sheltering in Tawila across 32 locations.

2. What is the condition of children among the displaced?

Around 57 % of the displaced population in Tawila are children, with about 25 % under five years old, placing them at heightened risk of malnutrition, disease, and interruption of essential services.

3. What are the top urgent needs?

The most urgent needs in Tawila are:

• Healthcare access & maternal/child services
• Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene
• Safe and dignified shelter/non-food items (NFIs)
• Food security and access to markets
• Protection services especially for children, women, and vulnerable groups

4. Why is this emergency different from previous ones?

Tawila is absorbing very large numbers of newly displaced people in a short time frame, many of them children, and at the same time, basic services are already overstretched. It’s the form of simultaneous multi-sector collapse (health + WASH + shelter + protection) that makes this crisis especially acute.

5. How can individuals contribute or help? 

You can support SAPA’s emergency appeal in these ways:

• Make a donation designated for the Tawila emergency.
• Share awareness: post about the Tawila crisis, reference the new stats, and drive global attention.
• Support campaigns that provide flexible funding, enabling rapid multi-sector humanitarian action.