500 families displaced to Karnoi as North Darfur fighting intensifies

The Karnoi Emergency Response Room in North Darfur says the locality has received 544 displaced families from the areas of Abu Liha, Orshi, and Ambro over the past three days, following recent fighting that has left many parts of the locality overcrowded with displaced people.

The latest displacement comes after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of Orshi, Ambro and surrounding areas in recent days, while the Joint Force captured the Abu Qamra area in Karnoi locality. The SAF-aligned Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) controls Tawila locality and parts of the Jebel Marra massif.

Families living in the open

In a report seen by Radio Dabanga, the emergency response room said the displaced families had been living in the open for a week without shelter, food, drinking water, protection or basic care.

It said many of those displaced were pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with disabilities, older people and patients suffering from chronic illnesses.

According to the report, the displaced families have been distributed among reception centres across the locality, including 63 families in Hilaliya, 42 in Tawqi, 24 in Bajarba, 52 in Jarboki and 35 in Karnoi town.

The emergency response room said displacement was continuing, with a further 328 families arriving in the locality by Monday and being accommodated at various reception centres.

Appeal for urgent humanitarian assistance

The Karnoi Emergency Response Room appealed to the North Darfur Emergency Response Rooms Council, the United Nations, international humanitarian organisations and individual donors to intervene urgently to assist those affected.

It also called on both sides in the conflict to stop targeting civilian areas and appealed for immediate and substantial humanitarian assistance for displaced families.

The group urged the opening of safe humanitarian corridors to allow aid to reach conflict-affected areas and called for the rapid delivery of food assistance to address the worsening food insecurity crisis.

It also appealed for medicines and medical care for pregnant women, children, older people and patients with chronic illnesses.

In addition, the emergency response room called for greater protection for civilians, the evacuation of vulnerable people and the sick from dangerous areas, the urgent provision of emergency shelter materials for newly arrived families, and the repair and drilling of water wells to improve water security and help stabilise conditions for displaced communities in the area.