Thousands fleeing Tuti Island amid Sudan’s conflict face hunger, disease, and lack of aid. With resources scarce and fighting escalating, survival grows increasingly difficult for those escaping the violence.
Muhammad Awad and his family are among many who fled Sudan's Tuti Island earlier this year, escaping a brutal siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). After months of survival on limited food and constant disease risks, they sought refuge in a shelter in Omdurman, where they now struggle to rebuild their lives.
Tuti Island, located in the Nile River between Khartoum and Omdurman, has become a symbol of the widespread devastation caused by Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023. According to recent reports, over 61,000 people have died in Khartoum state alone during the first 14 months of the war—far exceeding previous death toll estimates.
For those left behind on Tuti, the situation has been dire. Many were forced to pay large sums to the RSF to secure evacuation, with little help available to those who could not afford to leave. Awad, speaking from the shelter for displaced residents, described the grim conditions on the island: "There is no good food, and there are a lot of diseases. There is no sleep, no safety."
Tuti, along with several other locations in Sudan, is at risk of famine, experts warn. The island's close-knit farming community has been devastated by outbreaks of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease. Sarah Siraj, a mother who fled with her two children, said that as many as six or seven people were dying daily from the illness. She was only able to get her children treated once they reached safety in Omdurman.
Meanwhile, charity kitchens in Khartoum and Tuti have been forced to close due to a lack of funding and resources, exacerbating the already dire food shortages.
Rabeea Abdel Gader, a nutrition expert working in the shelter, described the heartbreaking conditions of families arriving in the city.
"We ask the mother what they’ve been eating... Sometimes she can only respond with tears. She cannot answer because of their dire circumstances," she said.
As the war continues to ravage Sudan, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with many facing starvation, disease, and an uncertain future.
Read next
20:00
Sudan
As famine continues to ravage parts of Sudan, humanitarian workers report that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in an ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army, are tightening their grip on relief supplies.
11:26
Military takeover
The Sudanese army has seized control of the main headquarters of the Central Bank of Sudan, escalating tensions in the country as military factions continue their power struggle. This latest move raises concerns about the stability of Sudan's financial system amidst ongoing political unrest.
11:12
Sudan conflict
The Sudanese army has seized full control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, marking a significant shift in the ongoing two-year conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
15:48
Sudan
In a Sudanese hospital, emaciated mothers cradle starving toddlers, their sunken eyes pleading for help. With war raging for nearly two years, food and medicine have all but disappeared. Doctors ration milk, families struggle to survive, and aid cuts threaten to make the crisis even deadlier.
21:15
Sudan
In the wake of intense militia clashes, South Sudan's airstrike hit the east, killing at least 19. Tensions continue to rise in a region still scarred by civil war, as political rivalries and a brutal attack fuel fears of another deadly conflict.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment