Nyala, August 27 (Darfur24)
Health centres in Kalma camp for displaced people, east of Nyala in South Darfur State, recorded 449 cases of malnutrition among children and 279 among pregnant women over the past two months, while 29 children died in August, according to the camp administration.
Abdullah Ishaq, head of Kalma camp, told Darfur24 that 149 children were suffering from acute malnutrition and receiving treatment at three health centres inside the camp.
He said most of the child deaths recorded in recent weeks were linked to malnutrition.
“The living conditions of displaced people have deteriorated significantly because of the lack of humanitarian assistance,” Ishaq said, calling on aid organizations operating in South Darfur to visit the camp and assess the situation.
The deterioration comes after the World Food Programme changed its assistance to displaced people in the camp from food rations to cash support of 17,000 Sudanese pounds per person per month.
The number of families receiving assistance was also reduced to about 35,000 from 64,000 previously, according to the camp administration, which said the changes had further worsened living conditions.
Kalma, established in February 2004 about 15 kilometres east of Nyala, is one of Darfur’s oldest and largest displacement camps. It has continued to receive people fleeing violence, including those displaced during the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The camp currently hosts about 300,000 displaced people, according to its administration, amid declining humanitarian assistance and growing food and health needs.