A devastating hunger crisis is unfolding in the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher, where civilians are dying from malnutrition and cholera. The situation has been exacerbated by a 14-month blockade imposed by paramilitaries fighting against the government, which has led to food shortages and skyrocketing prices.
Rare footage obtained by the BBC shows women huddled in desperation at a community kitchen, where they are struggling to find enough food to feed their families. “Our children are dying before our eyes,” one woman says, as the city’s 14-month blockade tightens, leaving civilians with no access to basic necessities like flour and bread.
The hunger crisis is compounded by a surge of cholera sweeping through the squalid camps of displaced people, where aid workers are struggling to provide adequate medical care. The World Health Organization has condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war, while international organizations have issued urgent appeals for a humanitarian pause to allow food convoys into the city.
The UN has demanded that warring sides observe their obligations under international law, but so far, the paramilitary group’s blockade continues to block aid. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports nearly 100,000 cases and 2,470 deaths over the past year, with cholera outbreaks triggered by polluted water and lack of food.
The situation is dire, with hospitals struggling to cope due to shortages of medical supplies and damaged infrastructure. Malnourished children are dying daily, as aid workers plead for help to alleviate the suffering of civilians. The international community is under pressure to intervene, but the fate of the besieged city hangs in the balance.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxp0qyn6dqo