Besieged El Fasher receives life-saving medicines airdrop

July 3, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – In a critical effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health today announced the successful airdrop of 20 tons of essential medicines.

The city has been under a tight siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since March, causing severe shortages of medical supplies and other essential goods. The blockade has resulted in exorbitant price hikes and immense suffering for the local population.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the life-saving medicines, including intravenous solutions, anaesthesia drugs, and various medical consumables, were delivered in collaboration with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Government of North Darfur.

Acting Federal Minister of Health Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim outlined plans to deliver an additional 30 tons of medical supplies in the near future. These supplies will include treatments for malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, and cancer, as well as dialysis and kidney transplant supplies.

Since May 10, El Fasher, the historic capital of the Darfur region, has been engulfed in fierce battles between the army and its allies against the RSF. The conflict has inflicted heavy casualties on civilians, damaged vital infrastructure, and displaced countless residents.

The South Hospital, the only operational medical facility in the city, remains under threat of closure due to repeated shelling by the RSF. The airdropped medicines are expected to provide much-needed relief to the embattled city and its vulnerable population.