During May 2026, the states of North Darfur, West Darfur, and East Darfur continued to experience deterioration across the security, humanitarian, and economic dimensions amid Sudan’s ongoing armed conflict. The monitoring period was characterized by an escalation in military operations, increased use of drones in aerial attacks, continued violations against civilians, and worsening conditions with respect to displacement, protection, public health, and food security.
On the security and military front, drone attacks intensified across Darfur, targeting populated towns, civilian areas, and military positions alike. North, West, and East Darfur states witnessed a series of airstrikes that struck the towns of Kabkabiyah, Saraf Umra, Karnoi, Malha, Al-Tina, Al- Junaynah, Ad-Daein, and the Al-Jalabi area. These strikes resulted in civilian and military casualties and caused destruction of public and private property, as well as damage to infrastructure, water sources, and local markets.
Extensive areas of North and West Darfur also experienced sustained military movements and troop concentrations by various armed forces, with ongoing military preparations along border axes and strategically significant areas particularly Al-Tina, Karnoi, Ambaro, and Al-Junaynah. These developments heightened security tensions and levels of fear among the civilian population, and restricted the movement of citizens, trade, and transport between towns and villages.
In North Darfur, the fragile security situation persisted as a result of sporadic clashes, armed attacks, looting, and vandalism including the attack on the administrative area of Funuq, which resulted in fatalities, injuries, looting of property, and the seizure of livestock from local residents. The city of Al-Fashir and its surroundings continued to witness looting and assault on private property, amid accusations that security authorities had failed to protect civilians and their possessions.
In West Darfur, arrest campaigns, detention operations, and raids targeting civilians, former political leaders, and former military personnel continued, alongside ongoing manifestations of lawlessness, organized crime, and armed looting within Al-Junaynah city and certain other localities. Markets and commercial centers experienced heightened anxiety due to repeated incidents of theft and armed assault.
In East Darfur, the security situation was marked by increased drone activity over Ad-Daein city and its surrounding areas, including precision strikes targeting homes and command posts of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leaders. A number of criminal incidents and killings related to social disputes and armed crime were also recorded within Ad-Daein city.
At the level of protection and human rights, the monitoring period documented the continuation of grave violations against civilians, particularly women and girls. In North Darfur, hundreds of cases of sexual violence, rape, and violations associated with displacement from Al-Fashir and the Zamzam camp toward Tawila and other areas were recorded. Testimonies from survivors and organizations working in the protection field indicated that new cases were still being received from survivors, amid a severe shortage of psychosocial support services, specialized healthcare, and medical care.
Cases of sexual exploitation and extortion within certain displacement sites were also documented, in addition to instances of forced marriage of minors in exchange for humanitarian assistance. Organizations and community networks confirmed that social stigma and fear of communal consequences continued to constitute a significant barrier to the reporting of violations.
Darfur continued to face an ongoing missing persons crisis. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that the number of registered missing persons cases in Sudan had exceeded 11,000, with large numbers of families still searching for relatives who went missing during displacement or military operations particularly in Al-Fashir and its environs.
At the humanitarian level, waves of internal displacement continued and the conditions of IDPs worsened in the areas of Tawila, Jebel Marra, and various displacement camps, in the context of rising humanitarian needs and diminishing response capacity. Displacement sites also experienced several major fires that destroyed dozens of homes and displaced affected families, including incidents at Daba Nayira Al-Jadida camp, the Massal camp at Khazzan Tangar, the Al- Umda camp in Tawila locality, and similar incidents in other areas. In the health sector, multiple areas recorded increased rates of infectious disease, particularly measles, tuberculosis (TB), and respiratory tract infections. Health sources reported a rising number of deaths related to tuberculosis among IDPs in Tawila, and dozens of new measles cases were registered in Shangil Tobayi and East Darfur. Concerns persisted over the potential outbreak of cholera as the rainy season approached and water and sanitation services remained weak a situation that prompted health organizations to implement preventive vaccination campaigns in a few localities.
The health sector also faced significant challenges, including shortages of medical personnel, medicines, and diagnostic equipment, alongside difficulties in accessing health facilities particularly for IDPs and rural communities.
Economically, local markets in Darfur witnessed unprecedented price increases for basic food commodities primarily millet, sorghum, and rice driven by weak agricultural production, reduced economic activity, and the impact of the war on supply chains and trade. The areas of Tawila, East Jebel Marra, and Um Kadadah recorded sharp increases in grain prices, amid concerns over deepening food insecurity during the upcoming dry season.
In the water sector, several areas have experienced acute crises due to the failure of water sources and the breakdown of wells and pumps, particularly in Farok, Karnoi, and rural areas of North Darfur, forcing residents to use unsafe water sources and increasing the risk of waterborne disease.
In the education sector, hundreds of students in Tawila faced the risk of being denied access to Sudan Certificate examinations following the failure of arrangements to transport them to alternative examination centers. This reflects the scale of damage the war has inflicted on the educational process and the future of students across Darfur.
Despite these challenges, emergency rooms, community initiatives, and civil society organizations played an important role in responding to humanitarian needs by operating community kitchens, supporting health facilities, providing shelter materials, implementing school nutrition programs, and responding to fires and local disasters. National and international organizations likewise continued their efforts in the areas of protection, health, and food security, despite the administrative and security restrictions they faced during the reporting period.