Hunger, malnutrition and fuel shortages compound Sudan’s humanitarian crisis

Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is deepening as malnutrition among children claims lives in Darfur, soaring food prices hit families in North Kordofan and fuel shortages disrupt transport and production in eastern Sudan.

The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur has documented more than 100 cases of malnutrition among children in the Soni area of East Jebel Marra, along with at least 30 deaths linked to complications from malnutrition and a lack of healthcare.

The coordination also reported a further 100 cases, while 135 people were reported to have been affected by malnutrition at the Liba administrative health centre, where two deaths were recorded.

Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the coordination, told Radio Dabanga that famine and food insecurity had become among the most serious threats facing civilians in Sudan.

He said the war had disrupted agricultural activity and forced farmers from their land, while drought and falling production had further deepened the food crisis.

A humanitarian affairs official in Liba, in the Omo administrative area of East Jebel Marra, said acute malnutrition among children had led to one death and 135 cases at the health centre.

He said the centre had been closed for about nine months because of a lack of healthcare services before resuming operations in March. Since reopening, it has received more than 135 cases, with the number increasing daily.

North Kordofan

In El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, and surrounding rural areas, the price of dairy products has risen sharply, adding to the pressure on families already struggling with the war and deteriorating economic conditions.

Field reports indicate that the price of a kilogram of powdered milk has reached SDG55,000, while a litre of fresh milk is selling for about SDG3,500.

The price rises are adding to the severe economic and security pressures facing El Obeid and nearby villages. Residents have also faced repeated attacks by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces aircraft, according to local reports, contributing to fears among civilians and disrupting the movement of goods and livestock products to central markets.

The rising cost of dairy products is putting further pressure on children, older people and low-income families who rely on milk as an important source of food.

Residents fear that continued insecurity and economic deterioration could further disrupt supply lines and drive prices even higher.

Fuel shortages

Port Sudan and Kassala are facing fuel shortages, with long queues at service stations and repeated price increases disrupting transport, trade and production.

A Port Sudan resident told Radio Dabanga that shortages had shifted between different fuel products in recent weeks. Petrol supplies improved after a shortage last week, but other products remained scarce, with black-market petrol prices reaching about SDG50,000 a gallon during the peak of the crisis.

The shortages have disrupted public transport, freight and factory production, while higher transport costs have pushed up food prices.

In Kassala, videos recorded on Thursday showed long queues outside the city’s warehouse fuel station. The price of a litre of petrol rose from SDG8,048 to SDG8,841 on September 12, following an earlier increase from SDG6,622.

The overlapping crises are placing further pressure on Sudanese civilians already facing displacement, hunger, collapsing livelihoods and limited access to healthcare, as the war continues to disrupt food production, markets and essential supply routes.