El Fasher, August 06 (Darfur24)
Residents and emergency committees in North Darfur have warned of a deepening food crisis and growing risks of famine following the near-total disruption of supplies from Libya and Northern State, amid soaring prices of grains and essential commodities.
The Rural Malha Emergency Room said in a report published on Tuesday that more than 270,000 residents and displaced people are at risk of hunger and water shortages. It noted that the price of a sack of millet has risen to SDG 450,000, while several wells and water stations have stopped operating because of fuel shortages.
The committee warned that the onset of the rainy season could further isolate the area by cutting roads and disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid. It called on aid agencies and donors to urgently provide food supplies and fuel to operate water sources before access routes become impassable.
The crisis has intensified following the suspension of commercial truck traffic from Libya and Northern State after the closure of the Sudan-Libya-Egypt border triangle crossing. Emergency orders issued earlier this year by authorities in Northern State banning the transport of goods to areas under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control have also halted supplies to Malha and other towns in North Darfur.
In Al-Sayyah, about 100 kilometres northeast of El Fasher, residents reported severe shortages of food and livestock feed after the suspension of truck movements from Malha and Mellit, compounded by losses caused by an air strike on the market in June.
Trader Abbas Haroun told Darfur24 that the attack caused losses exceeding SDG 100 million and destroyed large quantities of millet and sorghum. He said the interruption of supplies from Libya and Northern State had paralysed trade, while goods arriving from Nyala had become too expensive.
Haroun added that worsening living conditions had forced some families to leave the town, while delayed rainfall had disrupted farming activities and heightened food insecurity.
Residents in the Um Kadada locality also reported that shipments of millet and sorghum from East Darfur had stopped after local authorities banned the transfer of crops to other states and imposed penalties on violators.
Osman Ismail, a resident of the area, told Darfur24 that Al-La’it Jar Al-Nabi, Al-Tuwaisha, Um Kadada, Hasaknitah, Um Sidra, and Jabal Halla were experiencing acute grain shortages.
He said the price of a sack of millet had reached SDG 450,000, while a sack of sorghum was selling for SDG 300,000. A 50-kilogram sack of sugar costs SDG 350,000, a 25-kilogram sack of flour SDG 180,000, and a 25-kilogram sack of rice SDG 170,000. A bottle of cooking oil was selling for SDG 7,000.
The RSF controls most of Darfur, while the Joint Force, allied with the Sudanese army and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nur, holds limited areas in North and West Darfur, making trade routes vulnerable to military restrictions and road closures.
Markets across Darfur have historically depended on supplies from Libya and the Northern State. However, the ongoing conflict, the closure of border crossings, and restrictions on truck movements have disrupted supply chains and driven up prices at a time when the United Nations warns that millions of Sudanese face acute food insecurity, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.