Hunger, Bribery, and Ruin: Darfur After Three Years of Sudan’s Civil War
As Sudan’s civil war enters its fourth year, photojournalist Jérome Tubiana documents the dire humanitarian crisis in Tawila, North Darfur. The town currently hosts approximately 600,000 displaced persons, primarily survivors from El Fasher who fled following a siege and massacre by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries. Residents attempting to retrieve belongings from war-ruined El Fasher face complex logistical hurdles, including paying bribes to RSF fighters and undergoing inspections by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), which controls Tawila. Despite SLA efforts to arrest traders selling stolen goods, looting remains widespread. The conflict has caused severe physical trauma, with hundreds arriving with injuries from shelling and drone strikes; makeshift clinics in Tawila have performed over 400 surgical procedures, including numerous amputations, in just one month. Beyond the human toll, the war has devastated cultural heritage, destroying historical sites like the 18th-century Sultan Teirab mosque. The images reveal a landscape of makeshift tents, foxholes used as shelters during the siege, and a population grappling with hunger, displacement, and the ruins of their former lives.
Wire timeline
Hunger, Bribery, and Ruin: Darfur After Three Years of Sudan’s Civil War
As Sudan’s civil war enters its fourth year, photojournalist Jérome Tubiana documents the dire humanitarian crisis in Tawila, North Darfur. The town currently hosts approximately 600,000 displaced persons, primarily survivors from El Fasher who fled following a siege and massacre by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries. Residents attempting to retrieve belongings from war-ruined El Fasher face complex logistical hurdles, including paying bribes to RSF fighters and undergoing inspections by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), which controls Tawila. Despite SLA efforts to arrest traders selling stolen goods, looting remains widespread. The conflict has caused severe physical trauma, with hundreds arriving with injuries from shelling and drone strikes; makeshift clinics in Tawila have performed over 400 surgical procedures, including numerous amputations, in just one month. Beyond the human toll, the war has devastated cultural heritage, destroying historical sites like the 18th-century Sultan Teirab mosque. The images reveal a landscape of makeshift tents, foxholes used as shelters during the siege, and a population grappling with hunger, displacement, and the ruins of their former lives.
The Guardian