Türkiye is playing a central role in efforts to ease Sudan’s worsening humanitarian crisis, the country’s envoy to Khartoum said, as fighting between rival forces continues to devastate communities and displace millions.
Ambassador Fatih Yıldız told Anadolu Agency (AA) that aid organizations mobilized immediately after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s urgent call for action following the fall of el-Fasher, the largest city in Darfur, where Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces seized control on Oct. 26 and triggered another wave of mass civilian flight.
Yıldız said Turkish teams were on the ground within days. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) deployed staff to assess needs and distribute supplies, with the Red Crescent delivering roughly 60 tons of food and other humanitarian items in Port Sudan, Atbara, Khartoum and areas hosting people fleeing el-Fasher.
Turkish NGOs have also been distributing food and hot meals in Port Sudan and conflict-hit regions since early November, working in coordination with the embassy.
Looking ahead, Türkiye is preparing one of its largest aid efforts for Sudan to date. The AFAD will deliver 30,000 tents by sea, transported on three ships, Yıldız said.
More than 20,000 tents have already departed Türkiye and are expected to begin arriving in Port Sudan next week. The shipments are being coordinated with the International Organization for Migration to ensure the tents reach displaced civilians in and around el-Fasher, an arrangement Yıldız said reflects Türkiye’s determination to expand the reach and impact of its relief efforts.
“These steps will form an important example for the humanitarian aid activities we will carry out in the coming period,” he said.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF. The war has caused the world’s largest displacement crisis, devastated infrastructure and crippled key sectors including health, education and the economy.
More than 100,000 civilians fled el-Fasher alone after RSF forces entered the city, amid reports of killings, torture and forced displacement.
Yıldız said the takeover of el-Fasher marked “one of the most tragic moments” in the 32-month conflict, noting that information from the city remains scarce due to what he described as an “information blackout.”
He said Türkiye continues to condemn atrocities targeting civilians and is maintaining diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a halt to the fighting. “In Sudan, where the world’s greatest humanitarian tragedy is taking place, Türkiye is one of the key actors playing a significant role in addressing this tragedy,” he said.
The ambassador stressed that Erdoğan’s appeal was directed not only at the Turkish public but at the international community, urging global engagement in Sudan’s worsening crisis.
Yıldız said both Turkish state institutions and civil society will continue expanding their presence on the ground. “Our NGOs will increase their activities in the coming period,” he said, adding that Türkiye remains committed to supporting Sudanese civilians wherever access is possible.
