"The resources are very, very scarce" - NP's Mary Brace on Sudan for DW News

Thousands of civilians are feared trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher and in imminent danger after paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized the city last Sunday. German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, has described the situation as “absolutely apocalyptic.” Survivors who fled and reached the town of Tawila, about 70 kilometers away, spoke of mass killings — including of children — sexual violence, beatings, and robberies. The UN says more than 65,000 people have fled El Fasher, but tens of thousands remain.

Mary Brace is a protection adviser with the NGO Nonviolent Peaceforce. She spoke to us from the Sudanese town of Tawila, where many survivors from El Fasher have taken refuge.

Mary Brace: I mean, the situation — it’s heavy, and it’s quite difficult to see, really. The resources are very, very scarce. It’s just the sheer volume of people who are here, because the town doesn’t really have the infrastructure to support the hundreds of thousands of people now here. It feels heavy because people are afraid for family members they haven’t heard from. Many have lost family members and have received the news, and any reunions we see are pretty bittersweet. Other than that, people are really struggling to meet some basic needs in terms of food. Partners and communal kitchens are doing an astronomical job trying to provide at least one meal per day for the newly arrived. But yeah, it’s just quite heavy.

Interviewer: Right. I mean, do they share any information about what’s happening in El Fasher?

Mary Brace: It’s quite difficult to know exactly what’s happening in El Fasher itself. The people who have been arriving in the last few days — many of them have been held in various locations across the Um Jalbakh area, in Jabul Kusa, in a town called Gurnai, and in an area called Shugra. These are the key locations where people have come from. They’ve been held captive and then eventually released, generally after paying quite a large ransom.

Interviewer: And are they safe now? I mean, in Tawila where you are, are people safe?

Mary Brace: In general, yes. We’ve been monitoring the situation closely, and we’re aware that there are talks going on at higher levels to ensure that we remain relatively secure here. When people arrive, there’s a feeling of relief — like, “Okay, we are relatively safe here.” People, in general, say alhamdulillah and are thankful to be here.

Interviewer: So what’s happening next? What do you expect to happen now? Will people stay in Tawila? Can they stay there? What will the future hold?

Mary Brace: It’s incredibly difficult to say. Quite a lot of the people currently living in the camps in Tawila actually relocated from Zamzam, which was a refugee camp — or internally displaced persons camp — that had been there for many, many years. There are also people moving on from Tawila further into the Jebel Marra area, perhaps to join family members. Some people we’ve spoken to who have arrived recently would like to return to El Fasher, their home, if it’s possible. But it’s unknown. As I said, resources are scarce here in Tawila. It’s not ideal living conditions for anyone, but we will see.

Interviewer: Mary Brace from the NGO Nonviolent Peaceforce, speaking to us from Tawila in Sudan. Thank you so very much for your time.

Mary Brace: Thank you.