Maternal deaths linked to pregnancy and childbirth are rising sharply in Darbat and nearby villages in eastern Jebel Marra, according to local sources on Thursday.
Residents say a deepening crisis is unfolding quietly in homes and remote settlements, far from reliable medical care.
Darbat Rural Hospital, the area’s only facility providing basic maternal services, has shut down, leaving women without routine check-ups or safe delivery options.
Its closure has intensified the suffering of pregnant women who once depended on its limited but essential care.
A health source said that more than six women have died in recent weeks from childbirth-related complications.
He blamed the deaths on the remoteness of the remaining health centres and the difficulty of reaching them in time.
Without specialised maternal care, he said, treatable complications are becoming fatal.
Another health worker warned that poor roads and a lack of transport are further endangering expectant mothers.
Long journeys across rough terrain heighten the risk of miscarriage, anaemia, premature birth and death without medical supervision.
Health services across eastern Jebel Marra have deteriorated markedly since the hospital closed.
Women in Darbat and surrounding communities now face childbirth with little more than improvised assistance and dwindling hope.
The situation reflects a wider humanitarian decline in parts of Darfur, where essential services continue to collapse.
In the health sector in particular, residents say the breakdown is no longer gradual but immediate and severe.
