At least 63 people, most of them women and children, have died from malnutrition over the past week in the besieged city of El-Fasher in Sudan’s western region. The figure, confirmed on Sunday by a senior official from the North Darfur provincial health ministry, accounts only for those who managed to reach hospitals.
The official noted that many others have died at home or were buried locally without medical attention, as insecurity and the lack of transport made hospital access impossible.
El-Fasher has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since May last year. The RSF has been fighting Sudan’s regular army since the outbreak of war in April 2023. The city remains the last major urban center in Darfur under army control and has faced intensified RSF assaults since the start of this year.
Following a major RSF attack on the nearby Zamzam displacement camp in April, thousands sought refuge in El-Fasher. But severe food shortages have forced the closure of most community kitchens that once served as a vital lifeline. Many families are now surviving on animal fodder and rotting food.
The largest remaining community kitchen feeds about 1,700 people once a day. Manager Magdi Yousif said that six months ago, two meals were served daily, but dwindling supplies have reduced this to a single meal. “Previously, a plate was shared by three people; now, seven share one,” he explained. Signs of severe malnutrition—swollen bellies, sunken eyes—are increasingly visible among women and children. According to UN figures, around 40% of children under five in El-Fasher are acutely malnourished, with 11% suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
A year ago, famine was declared in nearby camps, and the UN warned it could spread inside the city. Today, nearly one million people in and around El-Fasher remain without humanitarian assistance. The World Food Programme says thousands of families are “at risk of falling into death traps.”
In June, an attack on a UN aid convoy heading to the city killed five aid workers. The rainy season, peaking in August, has further disrupted road access, worsening the crisis. The ongoing conflict has displaced millions and killed thousands, with the UN calling it the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
“Even those who come to the community kitchen are still going hungry. You can see the fear of hunger in children’s eyes,” said Yousif. A pediatrician at the city’s children’s hospital reported a surge in cases of severe malnutrition but a sharp shortage of medical supplies. Adam Issa, head of the famine-stricken Abu Shouk camp, said five to seven children are dying every day.
“We are on the brink of a catastrophic disaster, pushing an entire generation of children toward permanent damage,” warned Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan.
Source: Al Arabiya.