The Displaced Persons and Refugees Coordination Committee in the Darfur region warned on Monday of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Kalma Camp in South Darfur State due to severe shortages of food and medicine, raising fears of a potential famine outbreak in the camp, which hosts thousands of displaced people.
Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the Displaced Persons and Refugees Coordination Committee, said in a statement that “extremely alarming indicators are emerging in Kalma Camp for displaced persons in South Darfur State amid severe shortages of humanitarian assistance, steadily rising prices of essential commodities and living costs, as well as climate-related impacts associated with the El Niño phenomenon, which have led to declining rainfall and the failure of the agricultural season.”
He explained that these factors had further undermined the already fragile conditions of displaced families, exacerbated food insecurity, and increased the risks of hunger and malnutrition.
Rijal disclosed that worrying health indicators had been recorded, with approximately 20 children being admitted daily due to acute malnutrition, while around 2,750 cases of malnutrition were reported at health centres over the course of a single month.
He added that health centres were witnessing the spread of several diseases, including malaria, acute diarrhoea, typhoid, anaemia and other blood-related conditions. According to field sources, between 200 and 300 patients visit the health centres daily, amid limited resources and shortages of medicines and medical supplies required to provide treatment services.
