Humanitarian woes escalate in North Kordofan capital

Reports indicate that there is a significant shortage of oxygen supplies in both government and private hospitals in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. This comes amidst the ongoing challenges of electricity and water shortages, which have now persisted for a week.

A medical insider told Radio Dabanga yesterday that the oxygen shortage is expected to have profound implications for inpatients and surgical procedures, intensifying the crisis by creating a “severe deficit in life-saving medications”.

Alongside this, is the emergence of a new obstacle, a shortage of fuel, which is compounding the multiple challenges caused by utility cuts and the depletion of oxygen in medical facilities.

Fuel scarcity in El Obeid is becoming a “serious problem,” with the price of a gallon of fuel reaching SDG25,000, according to sources on the ground.

Beyond fuel concerns, the populace is also contending with soaring prices of essential goods and a deteriorating telecom network, painting a grim picture of the multifaceted challenges confronting the community.

Blue Nile

In the Blue Nile state capital of Ed Damazin’s, Emergency Room member Esra El Kheir, called upon humanitarian organisations to urgently provide relief for families displaced to Ed Damazin.

According to El Khair, the displaced find themselves in shelters without the most “basic survival necessities such as meals, blankets, mattresses, bathrooms, and access to clinics”.

Despite facing harsh conditions, humanitarian organisations, the Ministry of Social Welfare, and the Humanitarian Aid Commission have not yet intervened, “leaving vulnerable individuals, particularly children and those with chronic diseases, in dire straits”, according to the Ed Damazin Emergency Room member.

Kassala

The government of Kassala in eastern Sudan issued a decision to hike the prices of cooking gas to SDG21,000 per cylinder, a staggering increase from the previous rate of SDG6,500.

The decision, which was reportedly endorsed after extensive deliberations from officials at the Ministry of Finance and the State Security Committee, sparked outrage among residents across Kassala.

Sources told Radio Dabanga yesterday that “such a move is unconscionable amid the already challenging circumstances they endure”.