Kosti, a city in Sudan’s White Nile state, has become a major destination for families escaping renewed fighting in Darfur and Kordofan, only to find overcrowded conditions and little protection from the elements.
New arrivals describe sleeping in open areas or beneath thin fabric sheets, as international humanitarian assistance declines and local resources strain under the growing population.
Many families arrive exhausted after long journeys, some lasting weeks, and face immediate shortages of food, shelter, and medical care.
Local officials say more than 3,500 displaced people have arrived in Kosti in recent days, with roughly 25 families reaching the city each day.
While some families have been placed in large tents, many rely on improvised shelters made from sheets or plastic.
“There is no man to lead us; our sons are in one place, and we are in another,” Aziza said, describing her family’s separation and exposure to extreme heat.
The influx reflects wider displacement across Sudan, where fighting has intensified around Darfur and Kordofan.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 100,000 people fled el-Fasher and nearby areas between late October and early December.
Many of those fleeing had already been displaced earlier in the conflict, underscoring the repetitive nature of Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
Overall, more than 9.3 million people are internally displaced nationwide, with children making up more than half of that population.
As displacement grows, humanitarian groups report shrinking capacity to respond.
International organizations have announced aid reductions due to funding shortfalls, even as medical needs increase sharply.
“The biggest challenge is health,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Taher Almardi, citing shortages of staff, medicine, and facilities in Kosti’s camps.
Meanwhile, a U.N. team recently visited el-Fasher for the first time since it fell to the Rapid Support Forces, finding hundreds of civilians still inside the city with limited food, shelter, and health services.
Residents there survive in abandoned buildings and makeshift shelters, while local markets offer only small amounts of costly food.
U.N. officials warn that conditions in el-Fasher and Kosti point to a continuing cycle of displacement, insecurity, and unmet humanitarian needs across Sudan.