Footage illustrates the catastrophic humanitarian crisis resulting from ongoing conflict, with civilians facing starvation and cholera in El-Fasher.
**Desperation in El-Fasher: Civilians Struggle Amid War and Starvation**
**Desperation in El-Fasher: Civilians Struggle Amid War and Starvation**
A rare glimpse into the dire conditions in besieged Sudan reveals the heartbreaking plight of children and families.
In the war-torn city of El-Fasher, Sudan, civilians are enduring an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with heartbreaking accounts of suffering emerging from local community kitchens. "Our children are dying before our eyes," one woman tragically reported to the BBC. The scarcity of food has driven prices to alarming heights, rendering what used to be a week's worth of meals affordable only for a single day.
The BBC has secured rare footage of life in El-Fasher during the worsening conflict, courtesy of a local activist and a freelance cameraman. For over two years, the Sudanese army has been engaged in a relentless battle with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following a military coup that led to internal strife between the two factions. El-Fasher, situated in the troubled Darfur region, has become an emblem of the merciless frontline in this civil war.
As the violence escalates, the ongoing hunger crisis is further aggravated by an alarming surge in choleral outbreaks plaguing the displaced populations. The RSF's tightening blockade, which has remained in place for nearly 14 months, has left many residents of El-Fasher with little access to food or medical aid. Although areas in the north and central parts of the country have witnessed some relief as the army regained territories, the situation in western and southern Sudan remains exceptionally dire.
In a report from Matbakh-al-Khair, a community kitchen in El-Fasher, volunteers were found attempting to prepare porridge from ambaz, a byproduct of peanuts typically meant for livestock. On the day of filming, the kitchen's manager lamented, "There is no flour or bread... May God relieve us of this calamity." The UN has urgently called for a humanitarian pause to allow food deliveries into the city, emphasizing that the ongoing clashes demonstrate a deliberate use of starvation as a tactic of war.
Despite the Sudanese army's permission for aid trucks to approach El-Fasher, confirmations from the RSF remain pending. Local responders have access to emergency funds via digital channels, yet this assistance is insufficient given soaring market prices. According to Mathilde Vu, advocacy manager of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a mere $5,000 that once fed 1,500 people for a week now supports only one day's meals.
Health officials are alarmed, with reports indicating that more than 60 individuals succumbed to malnutrition last week alone. Many hospitals are non-operational due to significant damage, and the limited medical supplies available cannot meet the overwhelming need for urgent care.
Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, a pediatrician, conveyed the heartbreaking reality, stating, "We have many malnourished children…they are just waiting for their death." The international community's inaction looms large over this sentiment, fueling accusations by NGOs of a calculated strategy targeting civilians.
Condemning the ongoing obstruction of humanitarian aid, various organizations have called attention to the complicating factors hindering safe travel routes out of El-Fasher, where treacherous roads lead to violence and extortion at the hands of armed groups.
While hundreds of thousands have fled the chaos, many arrive at camps like Tawila weakened and ravaged by trauma. The situation in these camps is precarious, with cholera posing a severe threat due to contaminated water sources. Limited access to aid hinders relief efforts, and as illness spreads, the situation only becomes more dire.
Zubaida Ismail Ishaq, a pregnant mother in a camp clinic, shared her tragic story of loss, underscoring the collective trauma felt by many fleeing El-Fasher. "We drink water without boiling it," she described, highlighting the dire circumstances faced by those enduring the conflict's fallout.
As cries for assistance echo from the community kitchens of El-Fasher, residents express their desperate desire for relief. "Even if they airdrop food, airdrop anything," called out one woman, capturing the profound exhaustion felt by many. The words of El-Fasher's civilians resonate deeply amid a growing crisis that the outside world watches in anguish.
The BBC has secured rare footage of life in El-Fasher during the worsening conflict, courtesy of a local activist and a freelance cameraman. For over two years, the Sudanese army has been engaged in a relentless battle with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following a military coup that led to internal strife between the two factions. El-Fasher, situated in the troubled Darfur region, has become an emblem of the merciless frontline in this civil war.
As the violence escalates, the ongoing hunger crisis is further aggravated by an alarming surge in choleral outbreaks plaguing the displaced populations. The RSF's tightening blockade, which has remained in place for nearly 14 months, has left many residents of El-Fasher with little access to food or medical aid. Although areas in the north and central parts of the country have witnessed some relief as the army regained territories, the situation in western and southern Sudan remains exceptionally dire.
In a report from Matbakh-al-Khair, a community kitchen in El-Fasher, volunteers were found attempting to prepare porridge from ambaz, a byproduct of peanuts typically meant for livestock. On the day of filming, the kitchen's manager lamented, "There is no flour or bread... May God relieve us of this calamity." The UN has urgently called for a humanitarian pause to allow food deliveries into the city, emphasizing that the ongoing clashes demonstrate a deliberate use of starvation as a tactic of war.
Despite the Sudanese army's permission for aid trucks to approach El-Fasher, confirmations from the RSF remain pending. Local responders have access to emergency funds via digital channels, yet this assistance is insufficient given soaring market prices. According to Mathilde Vu, advocacy manager of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a mere $5,000 that once fed 1,500 people for a week now supports only one day's meals.
Health officials are alarmed, with reports indicating that more than 60 individuals succumbed to malnutrition last week alone. Many hospitals are non-operational due to significant damage, and the limited medical supplies available cannot meet the overwhelming need for urgent care.
Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, a pediatrician, conveyed the heartbreaking reality, stating, "We have many malnourished children…they are just waiting for their death." The international community's inaction looms large over this sentiment, fueling accusations by NGOs of a calculated strategy targeting civilians.
Condemning the ongoing obstruction of humanitarian aid, various organizations have called attention to the complicating factors hindering safe travel routes out of El-Fasher, where treacherous roads lead to violence and extortion at the hands of armed groups.
While hundreds of thousands have fled the chaos, many arrive at camps like Tawila weakened and ravaged by trauma. The situation in these camps is precarious, with cholera posing a severe threat due to contaminated water sources. Limited access to aid hinders relief efforts, and as illness spreads, the situation only becomes more dire.
Zubaida Ismail Ishaq, a pregnant mother in a camp clinic, shared her tragic story of loss, underscoring the collective trauma felt by many fleeing El-Fasher. "We drink water without boiling it," she described, highlighting the dire circumstances faced by those enduring the conflict's fallout.
As cries for assistance echo from the community kitchens of El-Fasher, residents express their desperate desire for relief. "Even if they airdrop food, airdrop anything," called out one woman, capturing the profound exhaustion felt by many. The words of El-Fasher's civilians resonate deeply amid a growing crisis that the outside world watches in anguish.
