Al Daein, August 11(Darfur24)
Farmers in East Darfur State, western Sudan, expressed their fear that the lack of agricultural workers due to the ongoing fighting could lead to the failure of the agricultural season and exacerbate food insecurity in the region.
Hussein Suleiman, a farmer southeast of Al Daein, told Darfur24 that they had been able to cultivate large areas of land, but were surprised by a severe labor shortage, particularly for weed removal, known locally as “hasha.”
Farmer Hussein feared that failure to remove weeds in a timely manner could lead to crop damage and the failure of the agricultural season.
He pointed out that they rely on labor from South, East, and North Darfur states, but this year, it has completely stopped coming.
A member of the civilian committees in East Darfur State, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Darfur 24 that the shortage of agricultural workers is caused by the involvement of young people in the fighting alongside the conflicting parties, in addition to the displacement and migration of young people in the region.
The Darfur states under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have witnessed widespread mobilization and recruitment of young people to join the ranks of the raging fighting between the army and the RSF, which has entered its third year with no signs of a halt to the war.
In contrast, thousands of young people have engaged in similar mobilization operations to join the ranks of the armed movements fighting alongside the army, particularly in El Fasher, the only city in Darfur remain under army control, whose residents have been under RSF siege for more than a year.