Famine devastates Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu) issued a dire warning in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions, reporting hunger-related deaths. SPLM-N leader Jatego Dalman told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday that “the situation has reached the stage of famine,” with over 20 per cent of the population severely undernourished and more than 30 per cent of children malnourished.

Dalman attributed the famine to a combination of factors, including last year’s failed agricultural season due to insufficient rainfall, widespread locust infestations, and ongoing insecurity. He noted that aerial bombardments and ongoing battles between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have disrupted farming, reduced cultivated areas, and obstructed the delivery of seeds and fuel to production zones.

He also highlighted the increased strain on resources caused by the influx of displaced people fleeing the conflict, estimating that over a million people have sought refuge in SPLM-controlled areas since fighting broke out on April 15.

Dalman accused the Port Sudan government of exacerbating the crisis by misappropriating aid meant for South Kordofan. “The government is using food as a weapon, leaving citizens hungry,” he claimed, contrasting this with the smoother distribution of aid in North Kordofan.

Local organisations in SPLM-controlled areas have attempted to respond, but Dalman stressed that “the scale of the disaster exceeds their capabilities,” calling for immediate international intervention to provide essential aid, including food, shelter, and medicine. He also pointed out that this is the fourth famine to strike the region.

While welcoming efforts to resume negotiations between the SPLM and the SAF to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, Dalman expressed scepticism about the military’s willingness to agree to a ceasefire. He accused the government of blocking aid access and using food as a weapon, mirroring tactics of the previous regime.

Dalman suggested that the United Nations should sign unilateral agreements with all parties involved – the SAF, SPLM, and RSF, to ensure aid reaches those in need. He warned, however, of the risks of delivering aid without a ceasefire, citing a similar situation in 1989.

Health conditions in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, are deteriorating rapidly. Health sources at Kadugli Hospital reported severe shortages of medicines and emergency supplies, with many patients arriving in critical condition due to their inability to afford treatment.

“Patients are transferred to the hospital in very late stages because they cannot pay for treatment or buy medicines,” a hospital source told Radio Dabanga. Activists reported that most drugs are now only available in private pharmacies at exorbitant prices, further compounding humanitarian woes in the region.