Mellit, July 19 (Darfur24)
The bodies of 33 people, most of them women and children, were found in the desert between Mellit in North Darfur State and Ad-Dabba in Northern State after they became stranded when their vehicle broke down, relatives of the victims said.
According to family members, the group left Mellit in mid-May aboard a Starex vehicle bound for Ad-Dabba. The vehicle reportedly broke down deep in the desert, leaving the passengers without assistance. They are believed to have died before another vehicle traveling along the route discovered the abandoned car and the bodies beside it last Wednesday, nearly two months later.
Among the victims was teacher Shadia Idris Alian, who was traveling with five of her children. The governor of South Darfur, Bashir Marsal Hasaballah, expressed his condolences to her family, describing her as one of the locality’s dedicated educators.
Marsal told Darfur24 that Alian was traveling to Ad-Dabba with her children—Muhannad Youssef Abdel-Moati, Maisam Youssef Abdel-Moati, Ahmed Youssef Abdel-Moati, Abdel-Moati Youssef Abdel-Moati, and Osama Youssef Abdel-Moati.
He said Alian had served as a teacher in Tulus locality, south of Nyala, with commitment and dedication. According to Marsal, she had hoped to continue her children’s education after they had been out of school for more than four years because of the war.
Mohammed Omar Mohammed, a relative of several victims, told Darfur24 that the family was informed of the discovery of the bodies nearly two months after the group departed Mellit.
He said most of the passengers were women accompanied by children under the age of 10, and that they died after their vehicle became immobilized in the desert.
The incident underscores the dangers faced by civilians traveling across remote routes in Sudan, where insecurity, limited communications, and a lack of emergency services leave stranded travelers with little chance of rescue.