The spokesperson of the Sharg Al-Neel Emergency Room in Sudan’s Khartoum State has reported that several deaths have been recorded among the elderly and children due to hunger in the locality.
Hind Al-Taif also told Radio Tamazuj that over 100 cases of night blindness, which is caused by vitamin A deficiency linked to malnutrition, have been diagnosed by medical professionals.
She noted a decrease in protein levels among pregnant women who have relied on legumes as their primary diet for extended periods, leading to cases of anemia and malnutrition.
“Between 800 and 1,000 children with symptoms of malnutrition visit Al-Ban Jadeed Hospital monthly, while Um Dawan Ban Hospital sees between 50 and 80 children monthly,” Al-Taif said. “In the Al-Jereif area alone, there have been 100 cases among children, numerous women, the elderly, and individuals with chronic illnesses.”
She suspects the actual numbers are higher but is difficult to quantify accurately due to network outages.
In the Sharg Al-Neel locality, only Al-Banjadeed and Umm Dawanban hospitals are operational, along with six to seven health centers.
Al-Taif explained that medicines are sourced from suppliers at high prices due to transportation difficulties and the risk of confiscation or attacks on transporters. She revealed that only one organization operates in the hospital, providing logistical support.
According to the emergency room mouthpiece, there is a severe lack of financial support for health services, the need for vitamins, nutritional supplements, equipment for measuring children’s weights and nutritional levels, and a shortage of medical staff and supplies.
“Out of 157 community kitchens, 95 have ceased operations due to lack of support,” Al Taif lamented. “The available support is insufficient to keep them running, and power and water outages have also caused kitchen closures, leading to health problems for residents.”