The Suffering of Sudanese Refugees Between Drone Strikes and Floodwaters

Sudan Events – Agencies

The Joint Forces of the Armed Struggle Movements announced on Friday that they had shot down a strategic drone flying over the city of El Fasher, which was targeting residential neighborhoods. Meanwhile, floods swept through the Kariari refugee camp in eastern Chad, leaving thousands of Sudanese war refugees without shelter or protection, amid a complete absence of humanitarian response.

This comes as artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues for nearly two years—marking one of the longest-running campaigns targeting a civilian area in the country.

Colonel Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, spokesperson for the Joint Forces, told Al Jazeera Net that the drone that was downed had been conducting continuous raids on El Fasher and was equipped with advanced reconnaissance and precision-guidance technologies.

Mustafa added that ground units engaged the drone with limited means but succeeded in hitting the target after tracking its movements and launch points.

A Deliberate Strategy

Mustafa pointed out that such drones are increasingly being used to target health centers, markets, and public facilities, reflecting what he described as “a deliberate strategy to destroy infrastructure and cause societal collapse.” He emphasized, “The targeting of El Fasher is not just a military battle; it is a systematic attempt to erase the city from existence.”

El Fasher remains one of the last major cities in the Darfur region under Sudanese government control, while RSF forces have imposed a siege on it for nearly two years.

Field reports indicate that the city suffers from severe shortages of food and medicine and a near-total collapse of basic services, while large numbers of civilians continue to flee westward.

Sources inside the city told Al Jazeera Net that the downing of the drone marks a turning point in the conflict and demonstrates the ability of the Sudanese army, joint forces, and popular resistance to achieve air superiority, even with rudimentary methods. Meanwhile, local residents warn that any delay in international intervention will lead to an uncontainable humanitarian disaster.

Colonel Mustafa emphasized, “The battle has gone beyond weapons—this is a true test of people’s ability to endure bombardment, extermination, and international neglect,” calling on the international community to break its silence and act swiftly to protect civilians and ensure safe humanitarian corridors.

Cries for Help

In eastern Chad, hundreds of kilometers from El Fasher, hundreds of refugees in the Kariari camp issued cries for help on Friday after floods swept through their makeshift shelters, destroying dozens of temporary tents and submerging the little food that remained—barely enough for two days.

Mohamed Mersal Hassan, a relief activist in the camp, told Al Jazeera Net that most of Kariari’s residents fled from Zamzam camp and the city of El Fasher about three months ago “without receiving any assistance, and thousands of families still live in an exposed wadi without tents, water, or protection.”

He explained that heavy rains early Friday morning submerged all the makeshift shelters the refugees had built using wood and tattered plastic sheets, confirming that children were now homeless, women sat atop piles of mud, and floodwaters had washed away food supplies and belongings.

Mersal described the conditions in Kariari as “unlivable,” with no access to clean water or toilets. Insect infestations and skin diseases are widespread, while there are no medical facilities or emergency response teams.

“We knock on the doors of humanitarian organizations every day, but no one answers. If aid doesn’t arrive soon, the camp will face an unmanageable catastrophe,” he warned.

Incapacity

According to the latest data from the UNHCR in eastern Chad, the Kariari camp is among the locations receiving large numbers of Sudanese refugees fleeing the Darfur conflict, particularly from El Fasher and Zamzam camp.

With the ongoing influx, estimates suggest the number of refugees in Kariari exceeded 20,000 by mid-2025, most of them women and children.

Humanitarian organizations remain unable to access the camp due to logistical challenges, according to sources in Chad. Meanwhile, UN reports warn that Sudanese refugee camps in areas bordering Darfur “are witnessing accelerating rates of food and health system collapse” amid the absence of an effective international response.

Activist Mohamed Mersal called on all humanitarian and international agencies to intervene urgently to save those remaining in the Kariari camp, saying, “We are not asking for much—just tents to protect the children from floods, medicine for the diseases spreading in the mud, and clean drinking water. These are urgent needs that cannot wait.”

Source: Al Jazeera