Wednesday, October 21, 2026

📍 From the Field In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the Darfur24 platform reported, based on local testimonies and traders in the city, that a severe cash liquidity crisis and a rise in commissions for converting money transfers into cash to about 40%, exceeding that rate in some agencies, pushed families who had returned to the city to leave it again towards the Tawila area in search of better living conditions. According to the same testimonies, these commissions weigh heavily on the cost of remittances sent by relatives from abroad, while families, especially displaced women, face difficulties in moving because of the earthen berms and trenches that obstruct movement.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its update that repeated drone attacks in several areas killed civilians, including children, and disrupted vital services, including attacks near Khartoum airport that led to the killing of a civilian and the cancellation of some flights. The World Food Programme reported, according to what the OCHA update conveyed, that the cost of the local food basket rose by 24% in September compared with August, driven by the decline in the value of the currency, the shortage of fuel, and disruptions to markets and supply routes. Radio Dabanga reported that about 16,000 Sudanese refugees in Qaram camp in South Sudan face a shortage of drinking water and medicines and overcrowding in classrooms.

1️⃣ Death toll from the drone attack on Amiet market in Abyei rises to 153 killed The death toll from a drone attack that targeted, on Monday, Amiet market, also known as Al-Naam market, in the Abyei area disputed between Sudan and South Sudan, rose to at least 153 killed. The area's acting Minister of Information, Yohana Akol Ngor, said that the recovery of bodies is still continuing, that the toll is likely to rise, and that fires hindered the recovery operations, while about 8,000 people were displaced. Reuters reported, citing sources, that the strike hit a fuel depot inside the market, which sells basic goods, while Médecins Sans Frontières announced that it is treating more than 20 wounded people in a nearby hospital, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, strongly condemned the drone attacks on Abyei and West Kordofan and called for accountability and the protection of civilians. (Sources: Reuters, UN News, Médecins Sans Frontières) 💡 Quick reading: Analysis — the attack places the demilitarised Abyei area at the heart of the escalating drone war, and increases the risk of the war's repercussions spilling over into the relationship between Khartoum and Juba if a credible investigation and accountability do not take place.

2️⃣ Geneva hosts the sixth consultative meeting to coordinate peace initiatives in Sudan The sixth consultative meeting to enhance coordination of peace initiatives in Sudan was launched today at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the participation of about 26 to 27 countries and organisations, including the Quad, which comprises the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Egypt, and the Quintet, which comprises the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and IGAD, alongside Sudan's neighbouring countries and the permanent members of the Security Council. The meeting is hosted by the Office of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Pekka Haavisto, in partnership with Switzerland, without the participation of the Sudanese government or the Rapid Support Forces, with its outcomes to be conveyed to them, and it focuses on coordinating the efforts of mediators, respecting international humanitarian law, and improving the access of aid. (Sources: UN News, United Nations Office at Geneva, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) 💡 Quick reading: Analysis — the value of the meeting lies in unifying the mediators, not in announcing an agreement, and its real test will be its ability to turn coordination into practical pressure for a humanitarian truce and safe access for aid.

3️⃣ The Sudanese pound falls to a new record level at 10,000 to the dollar The Sudanese pound recorded today a new record low level at 10,000 pounds to the dollar in the parallel market, continuing a sharp decline over recent months, while the official exchange rate remained at 4,200 pounds to the dollar. Reuters reported, citing traders, that among the reasons for the decline are import demand and the government raising the customs dollar this week to more than 5,600 pounds, at a time when production revenues have declined and the smuggling of gold, the country's most important export, abroad has increased. The agency said that the collapse of the currency, from about 600 pounds to the dollar before the outbreak of the war in April 2023, has made basic food items out of reach for many families. (Sources: Reuters) 💡 Quick reading: Analysis — the decline is no longer just a number in the exchange market, but a daily tax on food, medicine and remittances, and it narrows the margin for any livelihood recovery as long as the war disrupts production and supply.

— Editorial Team