**The humanitarian crisis in El-Fasher is exacerbated by starvation tactics and cholera outbreaks, as calls for international assistance grow louder.**
**Desperate Pleas Emerge from El-Fasher: Civilians Face Starvation Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan**
**Desperate Pleas Emerge from El-Fasher: Civilians Face Starvation Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan**
**Rare footage highlights the dire situation of children and families in besieged Sudanese city.**
The women gathered at the community kitchen in El-Fasher, a city besieged by ongoing military conflict in Sudan, express a heartbreaking narrative of despair. “Our children are dying before our eyes,” one woman told BBC News, capturing the urgent plight faced by innocents caught in the crossfire of the brutal confrontation between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). With food supplies dwindling, basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care have become luxuries many families can no longer afford.
Conditions have worsened significantly within the past two years as the armed struggle for control intensified after a coup by military commanders. Local reports indicate that food prices have skyrocketed—what once sustained a family for a week can now barely cover a single meal. “The calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war” has drawn condemnation from international aid organizations, further highlighting the humanitarian emergency on the ground.
Recent video footage shared by local activists illustrates the grim reality faced by the residents of El-Fasher. Amid a backdrop of escalating violence, the RSF has intensified their blockade of the city, rendering residents increasingly vulnerable. Reports indicate that not only is famine rampant within El-Fasher, but there is also a concerning rise in cholera cases fueled by unsanitary conditions in overcrowded camps.
International calls for a humanitarian pause to allow aid convoys into the area have emerged, yet skepticism lingers. The army has consented to allow aid delivery, but the RSF's intentions remain uncertain. Aid access has reportedly been hindered by a lack of safety for civilians attempting to flee, with those that manage often encountering violent ambushes along their journey.
Humanitarian organizations have sounded the alarm about the catastrophic health situation, particularly the appalling fate of children suffering from malnutrition and the lack of therapeutic feeding options for severely affected infants. Hospitals are overwhelmed and under-resourced, attempting to cope with severe medical shortages, leaving many patients in dire conditions without necessary treatment.
Adding to the chaos, internally displaced persons from desperate situations are now streaming into towns like Tawila, suffering from dehydration and malnourishment and often recounting accounts of violence and extortion from armed groups along their escape routes. These individuals face not only the lingering threat of starvation but also the rampant cholera caused by contaminated water resources in their temporary shelters.
The situation remains alarming. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has voiced concerns regarding the inadequate access to clean water in makeshift camps, indicating a dangerously high risk of cholera outbreaks, which previously took hundreds of lives. Survivors like Zubaida Ismail Ishaq recount harrowing experiences filled with loss and trauma, underscoring the need for urgent intervention.
Community members continue to express their desperation for solutions, yearning for food supplies or any kind of assistance. Going beyond basic survival needs, they plead for a cessation of violence and support from the international community to lift the siege on their city and to provide relief wherever possible. “We’re completely exhausted,” shared one woman at the soup kitchen as the humanitarian crisis in El-Fasher unfolds—one that calls for global attention and action.
