Overview: A Persisting Emergency in El Fasher
Displacement in Sudan remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The El Fasher displacement situation report #4, issued on December 18, 2025, highlights ongoing spillovers from the broader conflict that began in April 2023. As fighting and instability persist in several regions, thousands of men, women, and children in and around El Fasher have fled their homes, seeking safety, shelter, and basic services. This report synthesizes the latest data, needs, and humanitarian responses to help readers understand who is affected and what is needed to protect lives.
Key Figures and Trends
The latest assessment confirms that millions remain displaced across Sudan, with El Fasher and Darfur’s peripheral towns bearing a significant share. In El Fasher specifically, displacement has grown due to intermittent clashes, coercive raids, and disrupted local services. Families with limited resources are often crowded into makeshift settlements, host communities, or overcrowded formal shelters. Among the most vulnerable groups are unaccompanied children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and elderly residents who face heightened protection risks and restricted access to healthcare and education.
Primary Needs on the Ground
Cash assistance, food, water, sanitation, and shelter remain the core humanitarian needs. However, the 2025 context adds complexity: damaged healthcare facilities limit treatment for chronic illnesses and injuries, while schools struggle to reopen, risking long-term consequences for children. Protection services are essential to prevent gender-based violence, exploitation, and child labor in crowded displacement sites. The report also underscores the importance of reliable energy sources for clinics and the critical role of clean water in preventing outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Protection and Humanitarian Access
Protection monitoring has become a cornerstone of the El Fasher response. Access constraints—whether due to security, road conditions, or bureaucratic hurdles—hamper aid delivery and the ability of communities to rebuild resilience. The report calls for unhindered humanitarian access, negotiations with local authorities, and standardized, transparent aid protocols to ensure aid reaches those most in need without delay.
Response Efforts and Coordination
Humanitarian organizations, alongside national and local authorities, are coordinating multi-sector relief efforts. Efforts focus on establishing safe shelters, distributing core relief packages, and restoring essential services such as primary health care and education where possible. Non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies emphasize community-based approaches, engaging displaced residents in planning to improve the relevance and effectiveness of aid programs.
What This Means for Communities
For displaced families in El Fasher, the report translates into a clearer picture of where relief efforts are headed and what remains urgently needed. Beyond the immediate aid, there is a call for durable solutions, including safe, voluntary return when conditions allow, local integration where feasible, and opportunities for livelihoods that reduce dependency on aid. The ongoing crisis requires sustained funding, long-term planning, and a commitment to protecting civilians in conflict zones.
How to Support and Stay Informed
Stakeholders—donors, partners, journalists, and the public—can strengthen the response by sustaining funding, sharing accurate information, and advocating for protection and access. Regular updates like the El Fasher displacement situation report #4 help track progress, identify gaps, and inform strategic decisions aimed at saving lives and restoring dignity for those displaced by conflict.
