UN warns of escalating displacement around al-Fashir, North Darfur; WFP scales cash transfers

Fighting around the besieged city of al-Fashir in North Darfur is forcing more people from their homes, UN humanitarian officials said at a briefing, and partners report ongoing constraints on access for relief operations.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that roughly 770 people had been displaced from the city in a recent period and sought shelter in Tawela, North Darfur. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown briefed the Security Council from Tawela, the spokesperson said, and the UN urged an increased UN presence on the ground in North Darfur.

Operational response: the World Food Programme (WFP) said it has reached some 250,000 people in the wider Al Fauschia area with monthly cash transfers since the start of the year. WFP has also scaled up emergency food and nutrition assistance in other parts of Darfur, the briefing said.

The UN reiterated calls for the lifting of sieges and for unimpeded humanitarian access, saying civilians must be protected and that those seeking passage must also be allowed safe movement. The spokesperson said partners stand ready to deliver assistance once access is granted.

Why this matters: continued fighting and sieges limit lifesaving assistance and increase risks of famine and malnutrition. The briefing described the scale of WFP activity in the area as a partial mitigation while access remains restricted.

What the briefing did not specify: exact timelines for increased UN presence, the funding level for the WFP cash-transfer operation in the area, or details on which armed actors control specific access routes.