After more than 540 days of siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered El Fasher, triggering a catastrophic humanitarian situation marked by widespread atrocities, the collapse of the last functioning maternity hospital, and the loss of contact with medical staff. More than 6,200 pregnant women and tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped without access to medical or humanitarian aid. Women and girls face extreme risks, including sexual violence, while the absence of lifesaving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services leaves them without care, safety, or protection. Preliminary reports indicate 2,500–3,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas, with civilians fleeing toward Tawila and Mellit under severe conditions, often walking for up to 15 days to reach safety.
UNFPA is sustaining operations in nearby Tawila, where it runs a 24-hour Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) facility providing integrated SRH and protection services. It has prepositioned SRH supplies in South Darfur sufficient for 300,000 people, including 800 safe deliveries, ready for dispatch once access is secured. In Tawila and Al Dabba, UNFPA supports five women- and girl-safe spaces delivering psychosocial support, GBV case management, and community-based protection through trained local networks. Expansion efforts include a mobile clinic and temporary safe space in Mellit, capacity-building at Al Dabba Maternity Hospital, and the scale-up of cash assistance for pregnant and postpartum women, survivors of violence, and those needing emergency SRH support. UNFPA is also deploying six additional staff to Darfur to strengthen reproductive health and protection services for women and girls fleeing El Fasher.
