Malnutrition deaths rise among children in North Darfur’s El Fasher

28 June 2024 (EL FASHER) – An official from the Ministry of Health in North Darfur state, western Sudan, announced on Friday a rise in the number of deaths among children in El Fasher due to malnutrition.

The state’s Ministry of Health revealed an increase in the number of deaths and injuries amid ongoing fighting between the army and its allied armed movements against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher.

The RSF faces accusations of deliberately targeting civilian-populated areas and medical facilities in the historic capital of the Darfur region. Amidst the ongoing battles in El Fasher since May 10th, the Sudanese army is utilizing airlifts to supply the besieged city.

The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Ibrahim Abdallah Khater, told Sudan Tribune that the death toll has reached 675, with 4,300 injured since the beginning of the fighting.

Khater reported a rise in deaths among children in El Fasher due to malnutrition, which he said is being documented, especially after the bombing of the therapeutic feeding centre, which exacerbated the situation.

He confirmed the dire situation of the citizens in El Fasher, indicating that most of them have been displaced and are living in the open without water, food, or protection due to the RSF’s heavy artillery shelling of neighbourhoods, markets, hospitals, shelters, and displaced camps. He described the situation as dangerous, especially with the rainy season approaching.

The state official pointed out that the ministry has taken several steps, including finding alternatives for hospitals and centres that have gone out of service, in addition to operating therapeutic feeding centres in areas where citizens gather, with support from UNICEF.

He added that the ministry is working in coordination with local and international partners to activate preventive treatment centres.

The health sector in El Fasher is facing near-complete collapse after the RSF intensified its targeting of medical facilities in recent days.