September 16, Dilling — The city of Dilling in South Kordofan State is witnessing a worrying increase in malnutrition cases among children, in light of the lack of an effective humanitarian response.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement have been besieging Dilling City from all directions since last January, which has created a food and medicine crisis in the city. Child mortality due to malnutrition has also been rising.
According to an August report by the Nutrition Department, the number of malnutrition cases increased to 917, compared to 190 cases in June, a medical source told Darfur24. 323 of these cases are severe malnutrition. But the source — who preferred to remain anonymous — also said that there is an urgent need to update and verify these numbers, especially severe cases, as it is believed that the actual number now far exceeds what was stated in the August report.
And despite the increase in centers attempting to provide nutritional care, “access to healthy meal components remains difficult due to the shortage of materials and their high costs,” the source said.
An official from the Ministry of Health and Social Development in South Kordofan told Darfur24 that there are efforts to deliver aid and medicine to Dilling, but this has been hindered by road closures.