Al Fasher Crisis

Highlights

• Continued violence: since 26 October, intense ground fighting continues in Al Fasher, North Darfur. The overall situation remains volatile and unpredictable, marked by persistent threats and ongoing violence.
   
• Intensified humanitarian needs: Prior to the current escalation, an estimated 260,000 people, half of them children, were trapped in Al Fasher with almost no access to food, water, or medicine1. According to initial reports, the number of people displaced between 26 and 29 October has reached over 36,000.
   
• Exacerbation of grave protection risks: Emerging reports point to grave violations of children's rights, including abductions, killings, maiming, and sexual violence. There are also deeply concerning accounts of humanitarian personnel being detained or killed, further hindering the delivery of life-saving assistance.
   
• Constrained operational presence: Humanitarian access to Al Fasher remains blocked; communication with partners inside Al Fasher remains intermittent. UNICEF continues to monitor the situation through local networks. UNICEF teams, including extenders, are deployed in Tawila, Melit, and Kutum to coordinate the response and support new arrivals.
   
• Urgent need for cessation of conflict, safe passage, and protection of civilians: The situation of people remaining in Al Fasher is unclear, violence continues to escalate, and nearly all escape routes are blocked. There is need for an immediate end to hostilities, protection of civilians, especially children, and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow populations safe passage to safety.