South Darfur displaced issue dire plea

Displaced people in Kalma camp near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, reported yesterday a distressing surge in fatalities among vulnerable groups, notably children and the elderly, due to severe malnutrition within the camp.

Prior reports about the child mortality surge at the large camp have shown no signs of abating. Residents continue to appeal to humanitarian agencies for the swift delivery of essential food supplies to displaced individuals across the Darfur region.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga yesterday, activist Ishag Abdallah underscored the critical need to address the dire humanitarian conditions. He emphasised that the “provision of food aid must not be politicised or leveraged as a bargaining tool to advance any political agendas”.

Highlighting the grim realities faced by displaced communities, Abdallah lamented the withdrawal of humanitarian organisations from the camps following the conflict’s start on April 15.

The withdrawal, attributed to security concerns, aggravated the scarcity of vital food and medical supplies, compounded by the inability to cultivate crops during the previous farming season.

Moreover, the absence of reliable communication networks has further compounded the plight of the displaced, intensifying their suffering and exposing them to the imminent threats of starvation and disease.

Abdallah stressed the need for the direct and honest relay of the displaced community’s message to the relevant authorities, highlighting the urgency for immediate intervention to avert further loss of life.

Child mortality

Radio Dabanga reported earlier in February, that child mortality rates were surging in South Darfur’s Kalma camp. Local activists reported alarming trends including shortages of food and medicine exacerbating the crisis, affecting children, the elderly, and women.

Shamseldin Saleh, a political activist, told Radio Dabanga of the dire situation being endured in Kalma and other camps across the state. Amid the ongoing war, humanitarian relief efforts have stalled, and hunger levels continue to intensify.

Saleh urgently appealed for local and international aid, directing calls to UN agencies and the World Food Program for immediate assistance.

Forum

Radio Dabanga reported on Friday that the Darfur Bar Association (DBA) would organise a forum on humanitarian issues in the Kalma camp today, as preparation for a larger conference in May, to raise attention on the very large need for humanitarian aid in the region.

The organisers had wanted to hold the forum in Egypt, but “we saw that the impact would be greater if it was held inside Sudan, in areas affected by the war, because in this way conveying the voice and revealing the truth and reality to the local, regional and international community.”