"Desperation in Darfur: Civilians Suffer Under Siege in El-Fasher"

Civilians in the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher are enduring a dire humanitarian crisis, as rampant food shortages and escalating violence transform daily life into a struggle for survival. Women at a struggling community kitchen express their despair over the suffering of their children, with prices for essentials skyrocketing amid a calculated use of starvation as a weapon of war. The filming, obtained from local activists, reveals the struggle faced by residents after a protracted conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued for more than two years. As aid organizations call for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access, locals express desperate pleas for international assistance, stating that their situation has reached catastrophic levels.

In the communal kitchen of El-Fasher, women gather in desperation, voicing their grief over the suffering children whose needs remain unmet. "Our children are dying before our eyes," one mother tells a local news outlet, highlighting the tragic reality that even a simple meal has become unattainable. With food prices rising to exorbitant levels, money that once afforded a week of meals now only covers a single day’s fare. The UN and humanitarian groups have condemned the circumstances, describing the siege as a deliberate tactic to inflict suffering on civilians during the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and RSF forces, who have intensified their control over El-Fasher, the last stronghold for the Sudanese army in the region.

Conditions have worsened dramatically as cholera outbreaks plague overcrowded camps where displaced families seek refuge from violence. While the situation has improved in other parts of Sudan, El-Fasher remains steeped in crisis. Local health officials report that the scarcity of medical supplies has exacerbated the suffering caused by both malnutrition and injuries sustained in the ongoing conflict. Hospitals are on the brink of collapse, crumbling under the strain of ongoing bombardment and a lack of resources.

Echoing the sentiments of many, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Khater describes how severely malnourished children, some with additional medical complications, occupy the wards of hospitals while waiting in vain for therapeutic food that is no longer available. He notes that the situation remains extremely dire, with many vulnerable individuals, particularly children, succumbing to hunger and preventable diseases. In a grim acknowledgment, local NGOs have declared that the attacks and barriers to aid are part of a deliberate strategy to exhaust and demoralize the civilian population.

With check-points controlled by conflicting factions preventing safe passage out of the city, many residents have fled El-Fasher for nearby Tawila, facing violence and harassment along the way. Although conditions in Tawila offer some respite, they are not immune to disease outbreaks, with cholera claiming hundreds of lives due to contaminated water supplies. Efforts continue by local organizations to provide necessary medical care, but access to resources remains severely limited.

Dreaming of assistance, the women of El-Fasher implore for urgent aid to alleviate their suffering, exclaiming, "Even if they airdrop food, airdrop anything - we're completely exhausted." Their voices serve as a harrowing reminder of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan, as both local and international communities grapple with the urgent need to address the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire.