By SUDAN TRIBUNE
March 12, 2024 (JEBEL MARRA, Darfur) – The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), led by Abdel Wahid Nur, raised the alarm on Tuesday about a worsening malnutrition crisis impacting children and elderly people in areas they control within Darfur, western Sudan.
The crisis stems from the displacement of thousands who fled fighting between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces in Darfur’s cities. These displaced people sought refuge in SLM-controlled areas.
Mujib al-Rahman Mohamed al-Zubair, head of the civilian authority in these areas, told Sudan Tribune, “Over 75,000 children in camps across SLM-held territory are malnourished.”
He highlighted specific camps facing the crisis, including Tawila, Kator, and others. Al-Zubair claims daily child deaths due to malnutrition range from 10 to 15 per camp. He fears all children could become malnourished without immediate intervention.
“We warn of this potential catastrophe,” Al-Zubair continued, citing the lack of food, medicine, clean water, and shelter as key factors contributing to malnutrition among vulnerable populations.
He confirmed deaths among these groups and urged the United Nations and international organizations for urgent action to prevent a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.
The SLM, under al-Nur’s leadership, operates in Jebel Marra, a mountainous region spanning several Darfur states.
While there have been reports of the World Food Programme resuming aid deliveries to Darfur via neighbouring Chad and South Sudan, the urgency of the situation within SLM-controlled areas remains critical.
(ST)
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