Sudan: Darfur Faces Famine Threat As Drought and Soaring Food Prices Deepen Crisis

Nierteti / El Obeid — The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur has warned of an imminent famine as a severe lack of rainfall, soaring food prices and disrupted trade leave communities struggling to secure basic supplies.

Adam Rijal, a spokesperson for the coordination, told Radio Dabanga that poor rainfall during the current agricultural season, combined with rising commodity prices, could trigger famine unless humanitarian organisations intervene urgently.

Markets in Central Darfur's Nierteti locality, west of Jebel Marra, have already seen sharp price increases. A sack of millet costs between SDG12,000 and SDG20,000, while sugar sells for about SDG3,000, salt and a bar of soap for SDG2,000 each, and a bottle of cooking oil for SDG5,000.

Emergency rooms and early-warning groups have previously warned that erratic rainfall has dried out farmland and prevented key crops, including millet and sorghum, from germinating.

Farmers also face record prices for seeds and fertiliser and severe fuel shortages for ploughing, leaving large areas of farmland uncultivated. Road closures and sieges have further disrupted trade and pushed food prices beyond the reach of many households.

'El Obeid faces cholera crisis'

Plan International warned that the humanitarian situation in North Kordofan's state of El Obeid, is approaching a "disaster" as cholera spreads amid shortages of food and drinking water.

The city hosts around 105,000 displaced people in camps and shelters. Plan International said about 70 per cent of El Obeid's drinking-water supply has been disrupted, following attacks and restrictions linked to the RSF siege and the arrival of displaced families.

The organisation called for urgent international action to protect children and address the worsening humanitarian crisis.

North Kordofan authorities have meanwhile launched an aid package for displaced people from West Kordofan. State Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Sabri Youssef Jabara said the assistance targets 7,000 displaced families in shelters across El Obeid, providing 4,000 food baskets and 3,000 blankets.

He appealed to national and international organisations, UN agencies and donors to increase assistance to displaced people from West Kordofan.

Read the original article on Dabanga.