El-Geneina’s struggle: Life amid Sudan war and humanitarian challenges

What Happened

El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control since late 2023, is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis with over 120,000 displaced people and acute shortages of food, water, and medical care. Zainab, a displaced nurse from Omdurman, told Al Jazeera that a June 26, 2024, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attack on her home killed three of her six children and left two daughters with shrapnel injuries requiring surgery costing $2,000, which she cannot afford. She now lives in a self-built hut on the University of el-Geneina campus. Nagwa, a teacher who stayed in al-Nasr neighbourhood, described lost livelihoods and said aid organizations have reduced suffering by only half, with illness leading to death or chronic sickness without money. Mohamed, an official with an international humanitarian organization, cited funding cuts and poor communication of needs to donors as major challenges hampering the response, despite relative calm and functioning markets and hospitals.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

El-Geneina, site of some of the war's worst ethnic violence, now faces a protracted humanitarian emergency under RSF rule. The account underscores the war's toll on civilians, including mass casualties, displacement, and collapsed public services, while highlighting access and funding obstacles that prevent effective aid delivery. The ethnic dimension and prior atrocities raise concerns about long-term stability and justice in Darfur.

Watch For

Monitor whether relative calm in el-Geneina enables scaled-up humanitarian operations, any resurgence of ethnically targeted attacks as displacement strains resources, and outcomes for survivors like Zainab's daughters who require surgery. Donor funding decisions and communication of needs by aid organizations will directly affect relief efforts. Nearby El Fasher remains under SAF siege, and spillover conflict could further destabilize West Darfur.