Famine conditions hit Sudan’s Jebel Marra as deaths mount, local authority says

September 8, 2026 (JEBEL MARRA) – Catastrophic famine conditions have taken hold across swathes of Sudan’s Jebel Marra area in the Darfur region and nearby displaced persons camps, where up to 20 people are dying each day from severe hunger and disease, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The civil administration aligned with the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed al-Nur (SLM-AW) said the crisis in Jebel Marra, Tawila, and Ein Siro threatens the lives of more than 10 million civilians and displaced people.

The rebel-held mountain redoubt in Darfur has served as a primary sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of people uprooted since war erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.

Malnutrition rates have surged among children, women, and the elderly due to severe shortages of food, life-saving medicines, and basic healthcare, the administration said in a statement.

The group blamed the worsening crisis on poor seasonal rainfall, contaminated drinking water, and a blockade on relief supplies, accusing military authorities in Port Sudan of using starvation as a weapon of war.

Sudan’s military-led government has consistently denied blocking humanitarian assistance, saying it facilitates aid deliveries through approved border crossings and corridors.

Aid agencies have warned for months of impending famine across Darfur and other war-ravaged parts of Sudan, citing insecurity, bureaucratic obstructions, and fighting that prevents convoys from reaching vulnerable populations.

The local authority called on the United Nations Security Council to pass an urgent resolution securing unhindered humanitarian corridors and border crossings into the region.

It also urged the international community to press both warring parties to comply with international humanitarian law and halt the obstruction of food and medical supplies before the death toll escalates further.