Darfur displaced speak out against ‘dire conditions’

Displaced people living across Darfur’s camps are speaking out about their dire living and humanitarian conditions. The high cost of living, economic downturn, and lack of job opportunities have left many struggling to survive amid increasing insecurity and the proliferation of weapons.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Sheikh Ishaq Abdallah a resident in the Kalma camp in South Darfur, recently appealed for assistance during Ramadan, particularly for those impacted by recent fires.

Basic necessities have reportedly skyrocketed in price, including sugar, olive oil, meat, and lentils. In the Hamidiya camp in Central Darfur, community resident El Shafee Abdallah stated that the “price of a bucket of water costs SDG1,500 pounds and a sack of coal costs SDG1,000 pounds”.

Adallah added that frequent security incidents, involving car theft and assaults, have made it difficult for aid organisations to provide assistance, leaving “many displaced individuals without food rations for more than 40 days”.

Sheikh Mahjoub Tabaldiya head of the El Salam camp in Nyala, South Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that “many people there are surviving on just one meal per day”.