A quiet but steady stream of children is arriving in the Sudanese town of Tawila. Many come without their parents, carrying deep mental wounds from a brutal conflict. These children, some of whom have stopped speaking, are the most vulnerable part of a major displacement crisis. This crisis began when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city of el-Fasher in late October 2024. Aid workers from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) are helping them. They describe a generation that is deeply traumatized by violence and a desperate escape.
Since the RSF took control of el-Fasher after a long siege, over 100,000 people have fled. The NRC reports that at least 15,000 of them have reached Tawila, which is about 60 kilometres away. Among the new arrivals are at least 400 children who are alone. Aid groups believe this number is actually much higher, with an average of 200 children arriving each day. Many were separated from their families during the chaotic escape. Others have parents who are missing, detained, or may have been killed.
The children's trauma is very clear. An NRC teacher named Nidaa explained that some children were completely silent when they arrived, while others suffered from terrible nightmares. "They talk about hiding for hours, travelling at night to avoid attack, and losing their family in the chaos," she said. The NRC confirms that children arrive exhausted and deeply upset, often after walking for days through the desert. They are still terrified of the armed groups they fled from.
This child protection crisis is happening within a larger disaster. The sudden arrival of people is overwhelming Tawila. The town was already sheltering over 650,000 displaced people. Now, resources are stretched even further. The NRC states that most displaced people live in informal camps without basic services, and very few families have reliable access to essentials like food and water.
The events that caused this crisis have been condemned internationally. The UN's top human rights official, Volker Turk, has called the atrocities in el-Fasher "the gravest of crimes." The RSF denies targeting civilians or blocking aid, blaming these acts on individuals not under their control.
As hundreds of people continue to arrive every day, the emergency in Tawila grows. The town's limited resources must now provide shelter, food, and psychological support for a flood of scarred children. Their immediate survival is secure for now, but the long-term challenge of healing their invisible wounds remains.