In El-Fasher, Sudan, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated drastically as residents grapple with severe food shortages and a cholera outbreak amid continued warfare. Local women express despair over the plight of children, as international aid organizations highlight starvation being used as a weapon of war.
Devastation in El-Fasher: Civilians Face Malnutrition and Cholera Amid Ongoing Conflict
Devastation in El-Fasher: Civilians Face Malnutrition and Cholera Amid Ongoing Conflict
Rare footage reveals the dire situation of civilians in Sudan's besieged El-Fasher, where food scarcity and cholera plague the population.
The women at the community kitchen in the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher sit in huddles of desperation. "Our children are dying before our eyes," one of them told reporters. "We don't know what to do. They are innocent. They have nothing to do with the army or the Rapid Support Forces. Our suffering is worse than what you can imagine."
Food has become so scarce that prices have skyrocketed; what once fed a family for a week now barely buys a single meal. International aid organizations have condemned what they describe as the "calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war." The resulting hunger crisis has been exacerbated by a cholera outbreak sweeping through overcrowded camps housing those displaced by ongoing fighting. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that Sudan is experiencing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with nearly 100,000 cases and over 2,470 deaths in the past year alone, primarily affecting the El-Fasher region.
Rare footage from within El-Fasher, obtained by the BBC, shows the grim reality faced by those trapped inside. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has persisted for more than two years, intensifying recently as the RSF tightened their blockade on the city, tightening their control after losing ground in the capital, Khartoum.
In response to the overwhelming humanitarian needs, the UN has amplified appeals for a humanitarian pause to facilitate food deliveries. Although the army has approved the entry of aid trucks, confirmation awaits from the RSF, who claim a truce may allow for food distribution but express concerns about potential military advantages for the army.
Local volunteers at the Matbakh-al-Khair communal kitchen have resorted to cooking ambaz—a byproduct of peanut oil extraction, typically considered animal feed—due to the unavailability of flour or bread. "We’ve reached the point of eating ambaz," lamented the kitchen manager, expressing the community's desperation.
Despite some areas regaining access to food and medical supplies, the situation in western and southern Sudan remains perilous. Aid organizations report a deliberate strategy to break civilian morale through starvation, and they stress the barriers hindering evacuations for those seeking safety. Meanwhile, improved conditions in Tawila, a town west of El-Fasher, are met with limited access to resources as overcrowding and water contamination encourage disease outbreaks.
Residents eagerly appeal for any help to survive, echoing sentiments of exhaustion and despair, hoping for food airdrops or relief from the ongoing siege. "We want this siege lifted," said Faiza Abkar Mohammed, a voice of the beleaguered population of El-Fasher.
Food has become so scarce that prices have skyrocketed; what once fed a family for a week now barely buys a single meal. International aid organizations have condemned what they describe as the "calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war." The resulting hunger crisis has been exacerbated by a cholera outbreak sweeping through overcrowded camps housing those displaced by ongoing fighting. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that Sudan is experiencing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with nearly 100,000 cases and over 2,470 deaths in the past year alone, primarily affecting the El-Fasher region.
Rare footage from within El-Fasher, obtained by the BBC, shows the grim reality faced by those trapped inside. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has persisted for more than two years, intensifying recently as the RSF tightened their blockade on the city, tightening their control after losing ground in the capital, Khartoum.
In response to the overwhelming humanitarian needs, the UN has amplified appeals for a humanitarian pause to facilitate food deliveries. Although the army has approved the entry of aid trucks, confirmation awaits from the RSF, who claim a truce may allow for food distribution but express concerns about potential military advantages for the army.
Local volunteers at the Matbakh-al-Khair communal kitchen have resorted to cooking ambaz—a byproduct of peanut oil extraction, typically considered animal feed—due to the unavailability of flour or bread. "We’ve reached the point of eating ambaz," lamented the kitchen manager, expressing the community's desperation.
Despite some areas regaining access to food and medical supplies, the situation in western and southern Sudan remains perilous. Aid organizations report a deliberate strategy to break civilian morale through starvation, and they stress the barriers hindering evacuations for those seeking safety. Meanwhile, improved conditions in Tawila, a town west of El-Fasher, are met with limited access to resources as overcrowding and water contamination encourage disease outbreaks.
Residents eagerly appeal for any help to survive, echoing sentiments of exhaustion and despair, hoping for food airdrops or relief from the ongoing siege. "We want this siege lifted," said Faiza Abkar Mohammed, a voice of the beleaguered population of El-Fasher.
