Nyala, August 17 (Darfur24)
At least 450 children and 50 pregnant women in the Atash displacement camp in South Darfur State have suffered from malnutrition over the past two months, displaced residents and medical sources said Monday.
A camp administration official told Darfur24 that deteriorating living conditions and a reduction in therapeutic food provided by humanitarian organizations have contributed to a rise in malnutrition cases among children and pregnant women during June and July.
The official said the World Food Programme distributed humanitarian assistance to only 17,000 of the 36,000 families previously identified as needing support.
Located north of Nyala, Atash camp hosts about 120,000 displaced people and continues to receive thousands of people fleeing fighting in towns and cities across Darfur since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The worsening food situation has raised concerns over the health of vulnerable groups in the camp, particularly children and pregnant women, amid reduced humanitarian assistance and growing needs.