El Fasher, September 12 (Darfur24)
Humanitarian volunteers in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, distributed food to internally displaced persons (IDPs) on Thursday, as the city continues to endure a prolonged siege and heavy fighting.
Mohamed Ahmed Nizar, speaking on behalf of the volunteers and the El Fasher Emergency Room, told Darfur24 that about 90 families received free food in one of the city’s displacement camps.
The initiative was carried out in coordination with camp authorities and supported by funding from the North Darfur Chamber of Commerce.
Nizar said the effort comes amid dire humanitarian conditions caused by more than a year-long siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as ongoing clashes and artillery shelling targeting residential neighborhoods and markets. He urged humanitarian organizations to scale up support to ease the crisis.
Several beneficiaries welcomed the initiative. Mohamedai Ibrahim Bishara told Darfur24 that displaced families are living in severe hardship, with food shortages hitting women, children, and the elderly the hardest. He appealed to humanitarian workers and UN relief agencies to intervene and help save lives in El Fasher.
This week, the head of the World Food Programme’s communications department, Leni Kinsley, told Darfur24 that approximately 3.6 million children under five, along with pregnant and breastfeeding women, suffer severe malnutrition and require immediate intervention in Sudan.