El-Geneina’s Harsh Life Amid Sudan’s War
Al Jazeera Staff
Residents of El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, Sudan, are struggling with soaring food and clean water prices, while humanitarian aid fails to meet the needs of more than 120,000 displaced people. Displaced families, like Zainab's, who lost children in the conflict, live in makeshift shelters on a university campus. The city, controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, faces severe challenges in water, food, education, and healthcare, with limited international funding exacerbating the crisis.
El-Geneina, Sudan – The lecture halls of the Faculty of Medicine at El-Geneina University have become shelters for people displaced from other parts of Sudan.
Zainab (who asked that her full name not be used) sits among the displaced, holding two of her three surviving children. She once had six children, but three were killed after what she says was an attack by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on her home in Omdurman, in the greater Khartoum area, on June 26, 2024.
“We were targeted even though there were no Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or checkpoints nearby,” Zainab said softly. “I lost three children.”
Zainab worked as a nurse in Omdurman; her husband was a police officer. He went missing amid the turmoil of the fighting. After leaving Omdurman, she took shelter in the university halls, then built a small hut on campus. She described her dwelling simply: a cooking area with two pots, a small bedroom with mattresses on the floor for two daughters, a bed for another daughter and granddaughter, and she sleeps on the veranda.
“We rely on God. I have three daughters here; they need food, clothing, water, and none of that is available,” Zainab said. “All the families in the camp have the same problem. So far, no official organization has helped. Occasionally, kind people come and give us things, but it’s not enough.”
Zainab’s two daughters still carry wounds from the attack, with shrapnel lodged under their skin. She hopes for treatment, but the cost is prohibitive. “The doctor at El-Geneina General Hospital said both need surgery at a cost of $2,000.”
El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, is now controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been locked in heavy fighting with the SAF since April 2023. The RSF captured El-Geneina in late 2023 after what the United Nations described as “some of the worst violence of the war” carried out by RSF forces and allied groups. UN officials and human rights investigators say the violence targeted the non-Arab Masalit tribe on ethnic grounds and may amount to “crimes against humanity.” Both sides have been accused of committing crimes against civilians, but the RSF has been particularly criticized for mass killings and sexual violence. More than 50,000 people are reported to have been killed in the war.
Staying despite the suffering
Less than a kilometer from the Faculty of Medicine, teacher Nagwa in al-Nasr Street has not left, even though she lost many possessions in the fighting. “Before the war, life was like anywhere else. The market was open, goods were available and cheap. Government services were functioning; our children went to school. Life was really good,” Nagwa said. “But after the war, we are truly suffering. We lost homes, property, and jobs. I was a teacher; now I’ve lost my job and my salary has stopped; the situation has become terrible.” Still, she decided to stay. “When a person is displaced, the suffering is even greater. Staying preserves what little remains.”
Humanitarian challenges
Many challenges persist in El-Geneina. Drinking water and food are very expensive, Nagwa said, and aid organizations cannot meet the needs of more than 120,000 displaced people. “The arrival of aid organizations has reduced the suffering by 50 percent, but it is still not enough,” she said. The education and health sectors have also struggled and have not regained their pre-war capacity. “If you get sick and have no money, you either die or suffer from a prolonged illness.”
Mohamed, an official with an international humanitarian organization, said the humanitarian response in West Darfur faces major challenges. The city’s exact population is unclear, partly due to an influx of people from other areas, complicating planning for distribution and resource allocation. Limited funding for West Darfur due to cuts in international aid and a failure to fully communicate the scale of the needs gap to donors further complicates the response. Despite relatively calm periods, with markets and hospitals reopening, the people of El-Geneina – both residents and the displaced – continue to struggle.
