Malnutrition deaths reach 1,852 in areas controlled by SLM-AW

The civil authority in areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW)has reported 1,852 deaths linked to acute malnutrition among children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and older people, warning of a deepening humanitarian disaster as displaced families continue to arrive.

Mujib El Rahman El Zubair, head of the civil authority, told Radio Dabanga that famine was spreading across the region, with children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and older people facing mounting hunger and food shortages.

He said deaths caused by hunger and a lack of food were increasing daily.

Health services have also deteriorated sharply, El Zubair said, with most health centres no longer operating because of severe shortages of medicines and medical staff.

The lack of clean water has further worsened conditions, contributing to the spread of disease, deteriorating sanitation and the threat of epidemics, including cholera, viral hepatitis and malaria.

‘Thousands of children out of school’

The humanitarian crisis has also disrupted education, with an estimated 2,631 displaced children dropping out of school each year, according to El Zubair.

He attributed the figures to worsening living conditions and families’ inability to pay school fees or afford basic educational supplies.

Only 21 humanitarian organisations are operating in the region, he said, and their work covers only a fraction of the needs of displaced people. Funding shortages, limited resources and gaps in geographical coverage have left many communities without adequate assistance.

The continued influx of displaced families has placed further pressure on already overstretched shelter and water supplies.

‘Campaign to raise alarm over famine’

The civil authority has launched a media campaign to highlight the scale of the crisis in Jebel Marra, Tawila and Ain Siro. The campaign aims to raise awareness, sound an early warning, document the crisis through figures and data, and press humanitarian organisations to intervene.

El Zubair called on the international community and aid organisations to provide regular food supplies, emergency shelter, safe drinking water and sanitation services. He also urged them to establish medical centres, supply essential medicines and establish schools to ensure that children can continue their education.

He called for agricultural support, including water harvesting, storage dams and improved seeds, alongside training in sewing, handicrafts, livestock rearing and poultry farming to help displaced people develop alternative sources of income.

El Zubair also called for an immediate end to the war, which he identified as a central cause of the worsening humanitarian situation.

He urged the parties to respect international humanitarian law, open safe corridors for aid deliveries, protect humanitarian convoys and hold accountable those who obstruct relief operations.

He appealed to the international community and the United Nations to act urgently to prevent further deaths and protect civilians.