Pregnant women, mothers, and newborns in South Darfur, Sudan, are dying at an alarming rate, as the region grapples with a devastating health crisis fueled by ongoing conflict, according to a report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) released Wednesday.
The report from MSF describes the health emergency in South Darfur as one of the worst in the world, driven by the conflict that erupted between military factions in April last year.
“The situation in South Darfur offers a glimpse of the horrific conditions unfolding in other isolated, war-ravaged parts of Sudan,” the report said.
MSF reported 46 maternal deaths between January and August in two South Darfur hospitals it supports. Additionally, from January to June, 48 newborns died from sepsis in the same facilities.
Severe malnutrition is also widespread, with one-third of children under two years old screened in August found to be acutely malnourished—more than double the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold. Over 8% of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a major cause of death.
“Multiple health crises are happening simultaneously with almost no international aid,” said Dr. Gillian Burkhardt, an MSF sexual and reproductive health expert in South Darfur. “Newborns, pregnant women, and new mothers are dying at a shocking rate.”
The report highlights that conflict and displacement are pushing women to give birth in unsanitary conditions, with little to no access to healthcare or essential medicines.
MSF Calls for Urgent Action
South Darfur is home to the largest population of displaced people in Sudan, according to the International Organization for Migration. Nyala, the state capital and Sudan’s second-largest city, was once a humanitarian hub but has seen most aid organizations leave after the RSF took control of the city last October.
MSF has urged the United Nations to take decisive action to halt the escalating crisis in Darfur.
The U.N., which is holding a ministerial meeting on Wednesday with donors and regional stakeholders to address the “cost of inaction” in Sudan, blames underfunding, insecurity, and limited access for hindering relief efforts.
The war between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced more than 10 million people, left large parts of the capital in ruins, and sparked ethnically driven violence across Darfur.
Meanwhile, a global hunger monitor has declared famine in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp for displaced persons and warned that 13 other regions in Sudan are at risk of famine.
