28 September-4 October Sudan News Summary: Charity under fire, El Fasher's road of death, Nile flooding

6 Oct

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

With the escalation of fighting in El Fasher, the ongoing exchange of artillery shelling and drone attacks, the ongoing battles, and the siege that has lasted for more than a year and a half, the city's takiyas (charity centres) continue to operate cautiously, despite being subjected to shelling more than once, resulting in the deaths of volunteers.
A shell fell on the takiya headquarters two weeks ago, killing Abu Bakr al-Jabbar, head of the takiya's field committee, disrupting field work and forcing the team to regroup in order to continue its efforts despite the risks.
The ongoing daily shelling of El Fasher and civilian gathering areas has made access to takiyas difficult and dangerous, while the direct and repeated targeting clearly hinders the provision of humanitarian services.

Bodies on the Road: El Fasher – Tawila, a Deadly Journey Fleeing Death

On the road between El Fasher and Tawila in North Darfur State, dozens of bodies of civilians who were unable to survive the perilous escape journey are scattered, many killed by disease, hunger, or bullets from the Rapid Support Forces.
"I didn't know if I would survive until I arrived with my children. I was walking, carrying one on my back and another in my hand, praying that I wouldn't fall like those who fell on the road." With these words, Fatima, 35, a mother of five, began her conversation after arriving exhausted in the town of Tawila from El Fasher.
On September 28, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced that it had provided medical care to more than 300 victims and survivors of sexual violence in Tawila during May and June 2025.
The emergency centre in Tawila, controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement, receives dozens of families daily, after an arduous displacement journey threatened by security risks, hunger, thirst, and sexual violence.
The centre indicates that an estimated 30 to 40 displaced families from El Fasher arrive in Tawila daily, most of them severely exhausted after days of walking without adequate water or food.
A member of the Tawila emergency room said that volunteer teams have buried more than 30 bodies in the past week alone, some bearing gunshot wounds, while other bodies remain lying on the road, inaccessible due to the deteriorating security situation and the proliferation of armed groups.

Sudanese face difficult conditions due to floods

Sudanese sources said that citizens displaced by flash floods along the Nile River and its tributaries in villages north of Khartoum Bahri are facing difficult humanitarian conditions.
They added that those affected are suffering from a lack of shelter materials, drinking water, electricity, and protective equipment against disease-carrying insects, especially mosquitoes.
The same sources said that some of these villages are in urgent need of health services, which have been disrupted by the floods, noting that despite the receding waters, some residents of these villages are still traveling by boat.
In Omdurman, water inundated agricultural areas along the banks of the Nile, destroying a large number of crops, as well as reaching residential areas adjacent to the Nile.
Floods in Khartoum State peaked last week, sweeping through vast residential areas in the cities of Khartoum and Khartoum Bahri.
Despite the receding waters, authorities have warned of the consequences, particularly stagnant water, which is an ideal breeding ground for disease-carrying organisms.

By Samuel Hunt

A BBC article contains testimony from civilians trapped and injured in the constant shelling in El Fasher.
A mother in the article describes how her 13-year-old son, Ahmed Abdul Rahman, has been injured in a shelling and his whole body is covered in shrapnel wounds.
Another mother, describes how she has been mobilised by an injury to her leg, only for her to be killed shortly after the interview in another attack.
A New York Times piece contains an interview with Dr. Omar Selik, a doctor in El Fasher who describes the harrowing reality of trying to treat people in the besieged city.
Shortly after the interview was conducted, Dr. Selik was among those killed in a missile attack on a mosque that took the lives of 75 people.

Advanced weapons systems such as surface-to-air missiles and deadly drones are being used across Sudan’s battlefields.
Their use raises further alarms civilian air safety and regional destabilization.
It is thought that Weapons have poured in from Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and China, despite long-standing arms embargoes.

Bill Greenwood