Aid delivery is barred in Darfur, Sudan by authorities
In the war-torn region of Darfur, Sudan, the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. The State Department has expressed grave concern over the actions of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been reported to be looting homes, markets, and humanitarian assistance warehouses.
The siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been ongoing for over a year, trapping an estimated 260,000 to 300,000 people without access to food, clean water, or medical assistance. This blockade has caused local markets to collapse, staple food prices to soar by over 400%, and widespread hunger and visible malnutrition among children and the elderly.
The crisis is further aggravated by a cholera outbreak, with rising cases in displaced persons camps like Zamzam, poor sanitary conditions, a severe lack of latrines and clean water, and very limited medical care. Famine was confirmed in August 2024 near El Fasher and has since spread and worsened, with recent weeks reporting dozens of deaths due to malnutrition alone.
Violence, including bombardment, shelling, and attacks on civilian infrastructure such as markets and hospitals, has made living conditions more perilous. Civilians face high risks from direct violence, including killings when trying to flee, sexual violence particularly against women and girls, and violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups such as the RSF. These conditions have led to massive displacement, with over 600,000 people having fled El Fasher and its camps in recent months.
Humanitarian organizations are struggling to operate due to targeted restrictions and blockades that have prevented aid deliveries for more than 16 months. This has severely limited the distribution of food, medical supplies, and nutrition programs especially for children. UNICEF and other agencies call this denial of aid a grave violation of human rights, intensifying the suffering of the population, especially vulnerable groups like children.
The US is gravely concerned about the army's decision to prohibit cross-border humanitarian assistance from Chad, which has been a crucial lifeline for the region. An international aid worker in Darfur has expressed concern about the ongoing hunger and malnutrition among children and babies, and has called for immediate diplomatic intervention to unblock the situation, as millions of lives are at stake.
The aid worker's mission in Darfur is being kept confidential for safety reasons, but it is known that the region is already facing an imminent and immense food security crisis, in addition to a civil war, ethnic violence, and state service collapse. The Sudan-Chad border is alleged to be the main crossing point for weapons and equipment used to commit atrocities against Sudanese citizens.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) country director has stated that authorities have restricted the Chad cross-border operation, making the situation even more dire. The RSF has gained control of four of the five Darfur state capitals as part of their ongoing struggle against the army. The aid worker's statement does not provide details about the current control of the RSF over the state capitals in Darfur.
In summary, the combined effect of sustained siege, interrupted aid convoys, escalating violence, famine, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks has generated one of the world's most severe ongoing humanitarian crises in Darfur, with hundreds of thousands trapped and desperately in need of immediate, unhindered humanitarian access.
