A large wave of displacement in Darfur due to several simultaneous fires

Sudanese media outlets have reported widespread fires in the towns of Al-Toumat and Quraida in the states of South Darfur and East Darfur.

This comes at a time when several areas in the Darfur region are experiencing frequent fires during the summer, amid a decline in basic services and a lack of firefighting equipment as a result of the extensive damage to infrastructure during the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Wave of displacement in Darfur

The fires resulted in the death of a child, the destruction of hundreds of homes, and the displacement of large numbers of residents.

In the town of Qureida, about 90 kilometers south of Nyala, residents reported that a fire broke out in the Um Baloula camp for internally displaced persons on Saturday, completely destroying more than 1,000 shelters and partially damaging about 700 others. Members of local committees stated that the fire destroyed a total of 1,700 homes within the camp.

Witnesses reported that a fire broke out in the northern district of the market on Saturday, in the town of Al-Toumat, which belongs to the Damso locality, about 150 kilometers southwest of Nyala.

24 homes destroyed and a child killed

The fire killed a child and destroyed 24 homes built from local materials. Residents said the blaze completely destroyed stored crops and household belongings.

Al-Toumat is one of the most prominent livestock markets in the region, and it witnesses extensive commercial activity on specific days of the week, according to what the locals said.

The International Organization for Migration's Displacement Matrix reported that a separate fire in the Babnusa camp in Qureida last week displaced 141 families to open areas within the locality. It added that 87 shelters were completely destroyed, while 54 were partially damaged.