During theWar in Sudan (2023), tens of thousands of civilians were displaced from the town following clashes between theSudanese Armed Forces and theRapid Support Forces.[5] On 19 June 2023, the RSF seized an SAF garrison in killing a number of armed forces soldiers.[6] As of 23 September 2023, TheSudan Liberation Movement (al-Nur) has gained control of the town.[7] In September 2024, it was reported that at least ten children a day were dying from starvation in the town.[8] On 18 February 2025, an RSF assault on theZamzam Refugee Camp reportedly forced thousands of people to flee to Tawila.[9]
Since April 2025, Tawila has absorbed nearly 379,000 people fleeing violence and displacement from Zamzam Camp and El Fasher, the majority of them women, children, and people with disabilities. Four new camps have been established but humanitarian resources are stretched thin.[10]
As of late July 2025, UN-OCHA scaled up its response plan to support more than 380,000 displaced people in Tawila, mobilizing food, healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter and protection; the plan required about US$120 million.[11]
Water and sanitation remain major gaps: only about 10 % of those in four new camps in Tawila had access to reliable water, and a vast majority lacked latrines.[12]
Tawila is among the worst-hit areas in Darfur’s cholera outbreak. As of mid-September 2025, the wider Darfur region recorded over 12,000 cases and 500 deaths ; Tawila alone has reported about 5,457 cases and 79 deaths.[13]
Health facilities are closing or under strain, disease surveillance is hampered by lack of supplies (diagnostic tests), frequent internet outages, and reduced access due to insecurity.[14]
The Tawila refugee camp operated by theNorwegian Refugee Council received an influx of thousands of people seeking aid after the fall ofEl Fasher, 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the northeast, in October of 2025.[15]
Sudan
Liberated Areas