Al-Fashir or El Fasher (Arabic: الفاشر, romanized: al-Fāshir) is the capital city of North Darfur, Sudan. It is a city in the Darfur region of southwestern Sudan, 195 kilometres (121 mi) northeast of Nyala, Sudan.[2] A historical caravan post, Al-Fashir is located at an elevation of about 700 metres (2,300 ft).[2] The city serves as an agricultural marketing point for the cereals and fruits grown in the surrounding region. Al-Fashir is linked by road with both Geneina and Umm Keddada. Al-Fashir had 264,734 residents as of 2006[update], an increase from 2001, when the population was estimated to be 178,500.[2]UN Habitat reported a population of 500,000 for al-Fashir in 2009, attributing the increase to refugees and economic migrants.[1]
Late in the 18th century, Sultan Abd-er-Rahman el-Rashid of the Sultanate of Darfur moved his itinerant court (fashir) to a site called Rahad Tendelti while campaigning in the region of northern Darfur as it was a superb spot for a settlement and grazing; eventually the site was renamed to al-Fashir.[4][5] A town developed around the sultan's palace grounds.[2]
Al-Fashir has a hot arid climate (KöppenBWh) with three distinct seasons. There is a bone-dry and relatively "cool" season from October to February when temperatures are merely hot by afternoon and cool in the mornings, which gives way to a sweltering and equally arid "hot season" from March to May with high temperatures around 38 °C or 100 °F and morning lows of 21 °C or 70 °F. The Sahelianmonsoon arrives in June and lasts until September, creating a short wet season that produces virtually all the year's rainfall of around 210 millimetres or 8.3 inches, accompanied by much higher humidity than during the remainder of the year.
Climate data for Al-Fashir (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–2020)
Due to the nearby Abu Shouk[9] and Al Salam[10]IDP camps with the influx of humanitarian aid from the United Nations as a result of the Darfur crisis, the city has experienced a significant economic and population boom. Rents and retail sales increased, including the selling of bottled water and the opening of a pizza parlor to cater to the demand from western aid workers. The number of gas stations has tripled in three years as a result of the increase in the amount of automobiles in the city. Employment opportunities also increased as the United Nations offered jobs to citizens. Economics analyst Adam Ahmed stated that the "people [of Al-Fashir] are beginning to think in a more business-minded way" to make the most of their situation.[11]
^Mitchell, Andrea (2007) Talking Back...to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels (2nd edition) Penguin Books, New York, page xli, ISBN978-0-14-303873-3
