The Emergency Response Room in Farang East, located in Kutum locality of North Darfur State, has issued an urgent humanitarian appeal for emergency shelter assistance for both resident and displaced families as the rainy season approaches.
The committee warned of a worsening humanitarian situation due to inadequate housing and the lack of basic protective shelter materials.
According to the Emergency Response Room, the area hosts approximately 4,700 people, including local residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs), comprising more than 1,500 families. The population includes displaced families from the towns of Kutum and Kasab, as well as households that arrived with the beginning of the agricultural season.
The committee stated that most families are unable to secure shelter materials because of the absence of income sources and the soaring prices of essential goods. It added that most homes are built from locally available materials that cannot withstand heavy rains and strong seasonal winds.
The committee emphasized that the imminent rainy season will further intensify the suffering of these families, who lack even the minimum means of protection, placing their safety at risk and increasing the likelihood of disease outbreaks.
Speaking to Mashaweer, volunteer activist Abdullah Yassin said that the most urgent priorities are plastic tarpaulins to protect shelters from rain, sleeping mats to provide dry places to sleep, and mosquito nets to reduce the spread of malaria and other insect-borne diseases.
He added that providing these supplies before the rains begin would help prevent the collapse of fragile shelters, protect homes from water leakage, reduce the exposure of children, women, and older people to cold and damp conditions, and limit the spread of seasonal illnesses, particularly malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases, while preserving the dignity of displaced families and improving their living conditions.
For his part, Adam Arbab, a member of the Farang East Emergency Response Room, called on humanitarian organizations, donors, and United Nations agencies to intervene urgently by providing emergency shelter materials before the onset of the rainy season. He urged that priority be given to the most vulnerable households, including female-headed families, older persons, people with disabilities, and families with children.
He stressed that an early humanitarian response would reduce human suffering, strengthen the resilience of displaced families during the rainy season, and help protect their health and dignity.
