El Fasher, June 2(Darfur 24)
Tharya Ibrahim’s health condition has deteriorated after a shortage of mixed insulin, with most medical facilities closed and pharmacies in El Fasher, North Darfur, closed.
Tharya is one of thousands of patients in El Fasher who are suffering from a shortage of medication and even a lack of it due to the siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since May 2024. The city has been subject to shelling and frequent clashes.
Thuraya told Darfur 24 that she has suffered from diabetes for 10 years and relies on mixed insulin from hospitals, most of which have closed, and pharmacies that have been closed due to the bombing carried out by the Rapid Support Forces.
She noted that she was able to obtain insulin from a merchant from the city of Dabba, Northern State, but that the supply ran out last April, exacerbating her health condition.
Hussein Mahmoud, a resident of the Tambasi neighborhood, told Darfur 24 that his father died after a struggle with diabetes. His health deteriorated due to the lack of medication, in addition to the psychological impact resulting from the ongoing clashes in the southern neighborhoods of El Fasher between the army, the joint force allied with it, and the Rapid Support Forces.
Mahmoud called on health organizations to appeal to the Rapid Support Forces to open safe corridors to evacuate people with chronic diseases from the conflict areas in North Darfur.
Shortage of medicines
Pharmacist Tahani Abdel Rahman told Darfur 24 that El Fasher is experiencing a real crisis in life-saving medications and some other medicines.
She stated that El Fasher used to receive medicines through airdrops despite the blockade, but after the airdrops stopped, the situation worsened.
The army’s airstrikes on El Fasher, along with the airdrops of medicines and food supplies to the city, have ceased since the Rapid Support Forces shot down a warplane on April 3.
Tahani called for the evacuation of people with chronic diseases from the city to prevent their health conditions from worsening.
Regarding the evacuation, Mohamed Yaqoub, a chronically ill person, told Darfur 24 that they had evacuated their father to Mellit in early May with the intention of sending him to northern Sudan.
He added, “Unfortunately, he is still stuck in Mellit to this day because the Rapid Support Forces are preventing those fleeing El Fasher for Mellit from leaving the city.”
He pointed out that Mellit itself is facing a severe shortage of blood pressure and diabetes medications, as well as other medications related to chronic diseases.
Imminent Collapse
Health sector officials attributed the lack of life-saving medications and medical supplies at health centers to the blockade and the cessation of airdrops, in addition to the Rapid Support Forces’ prevention of aid from entering the city.
They stressed a general shortage of all medical services in El Fasher, which has exacerbated the suffering of patients, especially those with chronic diseases, and has also caused deaths among others.
A source in the State Ministry of Health, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Darfur 24 that the health system in El Fasher is suffering from a near-collapse due to the war and the blockade.
The source predicted a shortage of medicines and medical supplies in El Fasher if the army is unable to lift the siege imposed on the city.