Zalingi, December 13 (Darfur24)
Medical and local sources reported on Saturday the emergence of unexplained cases of watery diarrhea across several neighborhoods, villages, and displacement shelters in Zalingi, Central Darfur State, alongside a worrying rise in miscarriages among pregnant women.
A medical source at Zalingi Teaching Hospital told Darfur24 that the diarrhea cases are likely linked to contaminated food and water, noting that weak oversight of water treatment and food safety by relevant authorities has worsened the situation.
The source said the hospital recorded 13 diarrhea cases in the past 24 hours, including seven patients from the Jebel Marra and Al-Hasahisa displacement shelters west of Zalingi, and six from different city neighborhoods. He added that four additional cases were referred from nearby villages, while other patients were transferred for treatment outside the city, with no accurate figures available.
Separately, another medical source at the hospital confirmed an increase in miscarriages among women in the early months of pregnancy, with no clear cause identified so far. According to official hospital records, 25 miscarriages were documented in November, while additional cases likely went unreported as they did not reach health facilities.
The source said most miscarriages occurred between the third and fifth months of pregnancy, stressing that the causes remain unknown.