Mass displacement in Nyala following continued airstrikes

The city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, has witnessed a wave of mass displacement as dozens of families fled to different areas and villages within the state, in addition to migrating to neighboring countries such as Chad, Libya, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

This particular wave of mass displacement comes amidst the notable escalation of intensive airstrikes carried out by the Sudanese Army’s Aviation on the city, which has exacerbated the severity of the humanitarian situation and increased the suffering of the population.

The (Darfur 24) website reported the departure of many families to the locality of (Belail), located east of the city, and the locality of (Kass) to the west, in addition to other southern localities within the state.

Moreover, a wave of displacement was also noted to the localities of (Ad Al-Fursan, Kabum and Rahid Al-Burdi), reflecting the state of panic and anxiety experienced by the population as a result of the ongoing airstrikes.

Mohi El-Din Othman, a citizen, described the airstrikes as extremely violent, noting they are usually carried out in the late hours of the night, which further exacerbates the state of terror and panic among children, women and the elderly.

He explained that the city experiences a state of absolute silence during the air sorties, as people watch the fall of shells that cause such a deafening noise at impact, enough to shake the buildings, which only serves to breed more tension and fear among the residents.

For her part, citizen Fatima Saleh Abdullah, who lives in the airport neighborhood, stated that they were forced to look for alternative housing in (Al-Salam) neighborhood, after their original neighborhood became one of the eastern neighborhoods most exposed to repeated aerial bombardment by warplanes.

She pointed out that the neighborhood has been targeted (11) times since the beginning of the war, the last of which was last November, leeding to a number of deaths and injuries among civilians and causing the destruction of many homes, among which is (Amna Bint Wahb) Elementary School.

In the same context, Mazen Abdullah, a resident of Nyala, expressed his profound sadness for being forced to leave the city of Nyala in search of another refuge, aiming to distance himself and his family from the sounds of shells that invoke his children’s anxiety.

“I arrived in (Al-Tina), Chad, after a week-long journey, on my way to Libya, after the city witnessed four consecutive airstrikes, which forced me and my family to leave our home and seek refuge in Libya,” Mazen added.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced the displacement of (43) families earlier this month from Nyala to the South and North of Nyala, due to the incessant airstrikes.