PORT SUDAN, 16 April 2025 - Thousands of families with children have arrived injured, traumatised, and hungry in the town of Tawila after journeys of up to 70km (40 miles) on foot fleeing attacks in Sudan’s Zamzam and Al Shouk camps, Save the Children said.
Many of the new arrivals, were already severely malnourished as people in Zamzam - the largest camp for internally displaced people in Sudan - have been living in famine-like conditions for nearly eight months with a siege crippling food supplies and basic services.
Those fleeing have reported witnessing or experiencing horrific physical violence with some children separated from their parents in the chaos, causing further mental anguish.
Violent attacks in North Darfur’s Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps over the weekend killed more than 300 people, including more than 20 children, and displaced nearly 70,000 families to El Fasher and Tawila, with more than half of those children.
Despite Foreign Secretary David Lammy announcing a 120-million-pound emergency aid package following the attacks earlier this week and the UK hosting ceasefire talks in London – no agreement was reached to stop the fighting.
Families in Tawila now have no other option but to shelter in open areas or in overcrowded schools and public buildings and are being exposed to daily temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius. Most of the displaced families are now entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, putting children, pregnant and breastfeeding women at severe risk of malnutrition.
Francesco Lanino, the Deputy Country Director for Save the Children Sudan, said:
“This is yet another disaster for families in Sudan who have faced two years of conflict that have caused the world’s largest displacement crisis. There is dire need for urgent food distributions, including ready-to-eat meals and nutritional support to curb malnutrition. Provision of shelter and other non-food items is paramount for the new arrivals who are sheltering in schools in open spaces.
“Additionally, there is an urgent need to support or establish mobile health clinics and ensure the availability of essential medicines, first aid supplies, and basic maternal and child health services. With such rapid displacement comes the real risk of waterborne diseases and therefore the need to install additional water sources or rehabilitate existing ones, and construct emergency latrines so as to keep waterborne diseases at bay. Hygiene kits containing soap, sanitary materials, and other essentials are needed to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
“We also need to be able to provide mental health and psychosocial support particularly for children and caregivers who have witnessed traumatic events such as killing and maiming of their family members.”
Health facilities in Tawila were already under pressure before the recent arrivals - with a shortage of medicine and limited access to clean water increasing the risk of waterborne diseases - they are now struggling to cope with the sheer number of patients arriving.
Save the Children is currently mobilizing pre-positioned stocks of medical supplies and essential relief aid including ready-to-use therapeutic food for malnourished children, hygiene materials and basic household items to support families and children in Tawila.
This conflict has devastated the lives of millions of children since it began two years ago, leaving them trapped in a cycle of violence, hunger, disease, and displacement. More than 6.5 million children have now been forced from their homes. That’s an average of one child every ten seconds.
Save the Children is urgently calling on the UK Government keep its promises in Sudan and protect 120 million of critical aid funding, including in neighboring countries where funding cuts are pushing refugee services to breaking point. Meaningful political pressure must be applied to bring all warring parties to the table and find a lasting solution to stop the fighting once and for all.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty, and hunger. We remain committed to protecting children’s lives and their futures.
