In Sudan, as fighting continues to rage in the town of El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur, Doctors Without Borders is sounding the alarm.
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Located a few kilometers from the town of El-Fasher, the Zamzam camp hosts nearly half a million displaced people who fled the fighting between the regular army and the paramilitaries. A few weeks ago, famine was officially declared there. A few trucks of humanitarian aid were able to arrive, but it is not enough, deplores Michel Olivier Lacharité, director of emergencies at MSF.
A month ago, the NGO had to interrupt care for “moderately malnourished” children. At the beginning of last week, she finally stopped her outpatient activities. “ Today, only our 80-bed hospital remains which takes children who are in the most critical condition, which means that the other 5,000, sent back for treatment, are now at significant risk of dying.alerts Michel Olivier Lacharité. Even as the situation deteriorates and we should increase support, due to lack of supplies, we are forced to stop our activities in Darfur. »
Despite some “ minor improvements » observed in recent months, Doctors Without Borders has difficulty accessing areas controlled by each camp, due to the brakes on the opposing camp. “ We are in a dynamic of blockage where the parties to the conflict prevent, or at least do not facilitate, the massive arrival in the areas which are controlled by the other party », notes the emergency director.
And the acceleration of fighting in Khartoum and El-Fasher in recent weeks does not help matters. “ It is clear that the intensity of the fighting may prevent access to El-Fasherbut it also redesigns all the supply flows and therefore, every month, we must review where trucks can go through », concludes Michel Olivier Lacharité.
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