Mpox outbreak, malnutrition surge among IDPs in Jebel Marra
June 1, Jebel Marra — The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur announced on Monday a sharp rise in Mpox infections and acute childhood malnutrition across the Jebel Marra region of North Darfur, warning of a catastrophic collapse in humanitarian and health conditions.
Adam Regal, the official spokesperson for the Coordination, told Sudan Tribune that 350 Mpox cases have been officially documented since the viral disease first emerged in East Jebel Marra on May 16, specifically concentrated in the localities of Jawa, Soni, and Durban.
Regal expressed grave concern over the potential expansion of the virus to adjacent territories if immediate medical interventions are not implemented to stabilize the epidemiological situation.
Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus within the Poxviridae family. It is transmitted primarily through close, personal skin-to-skin contact, respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face interactions, and contact with contaminated materials such as bedding or surfaces. Early clinical symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, back pain, profound exhaustion, and lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)—a key diagnostic feature that distinguishes it from other look-alike rashes.
The spokesperson emphasized that internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the broader Darfur region are enduring immensely complex humanitarian conditions, driven by a drastic reduction in international aid delivery and logistical blockades preventing supplies from reaching vulnerable encampments.
Regal projectively warned of an imminent and severe food security crisis due to dwindling humanitarian pipelines, the near-total collapse of the national economy, and hyperinflation affecting essential commodities.
“The situation is spiraling toward further deterioration as long as the conflict persists,” Regal stated, noting that children remain the demographic hardest hit by restricted access to nutrition and life-saving services. He added that women face heightened rates of violence and socioeconomic pressure, while mortality rates among the elderly have climbed due to malnutrition-related illnesses and a critical shortage of chronic disease medications.
The Coordination explicitly accused the warring parties of weaponizing food and humanitarian access against civilian populations, pointing to deliberate blockades on specific enclaves that have catalysed the severe degradation of living standards in displacement zones.
Darfur’s healthcare infrastructure continues to face unprecedented logistical hurdles. Prolonged conflict and unsafe transport arteries have severed major supply routes, rendering the delivery of essential medicines and critical medical supplies to rural states nearly impossible.