19-25 October Sudan News Summary: drone attacks, children and families under threat of starvation

27 Oct

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, revealed on Saturday a deterioration in the living conditions of Sudanese people, with 86% of families struggling to afford their basic needs, forcing them to resort to negative coping mechanisms.
The organisation indicated that the situation has caused families' purchasing power to decline to its lowest level in more than two decades.
The report explained that commodity prices have increased by four to six times in most states compared to the beginning of 2023, while the prices of imported goods such as sugar, oil, and medicine have increased seven to ten times.
The report also stated that 72% of families were unable to access local markets for at least one week, with 59% of them reporting that the markets did not have all essential goods available, such as flour, oil, sugar, and medicine.
The report mentioned that local markets in areas where there is displacement are operating at a very limited capacity, with commodity prices more than 200% higher than in urban markets.
It added that some families in rural areas are forced to sell part of the aid they receive to obtain cash or medicine.
The report indicated that the main sources of food are markets (73%), followed by humanitarian aid (14%), and home gardening or self-production (9%), while the remaining 4% comes from bartering or social support.

Four UN agencies stated that 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, are cut off from food, water, and healthcare in El Fasher, North Darfur, where they have been living under a continuous siege for more than 16 months.
The UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM, and WFP confirmed in a joint statement on Thursday that thousands of children suffering from severe malnutrition in El Fasher are deprived of treatment, putting them at imminent risk of death.
The joint statement described the situation in the Darfur and Kordofan states as alarming, with escalating humanitarian needs and increasing isolation of local communities, while the collapse of basic services is endangering the lives of millions of people.
The four UN agencies clarified in the statement that thousands of Sudanese children face the imminent risk of death if they do not receive immediate food assistance.
They pointed out that the conflict has destroyed essential services such as healthcare and education, displaced entire communities, and subjected fleeing families to serious abuses, while famine was confirmed in parts of Sudan last year, with children among the most affected.

By Samuel Hunt

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out multiple consecutive days of drone strikes on Khartoum, targeting civilian areas near the airport and residential neighbourhoods.
Women and children are among the casualties, with hospitals reporting growing numbers of blast injuries as families shelter in damaged homes without medical support.
The attacks began after Khartoum airport briefly reopened for humanitarian and evacuation flights, raising fears that civilians are being punished for allowing aid or movement.
Survivors told the BBC they are “living in terror” as drones fly overhead day and night, making it impossible for families to flee or access food, water, or medical care.
Despite a UN arms embargo, both the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces are upgrading their weaponry through foreign suppliers, including drones and anti-air systems, worsening civilian suffering.
After a fourth day of strikes, witnesses reported that entire districts of Khartoum were without electricity, forcing children and the elderly to endure extreme heat and a lack of clean water.
Local emergency groups say aid teams cannot reach impacted areas due to ongoing bombardment, leaving trapped families without treatment for shrapnel wounds or burns.

A report by Save the Children found that in October alone at least 17 children were killed and 22 injured in six attacks on the besieged city; all the child deaths occurred in one strike on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre including a newborn just seven days old.
According to United Nations agencies, thousands of children are at imminent risk of death in El Fasher as malnutrition rates soar under siege conditions.
The humanitarian system has nearly collapsed: health facilities have been repeatedly attacked and eventually forced to suspend operations.
Residents say they are “trapped, attacked and starving”—homes looted or destroyed, basic services gone, movement out of the city blocked, especially impacting women and children.
Camps and displacement sites around El Fasher, including those housing families fleeing violence, are under bombardment and suffering acute food shortages, leaving children without protection, shelter, or nutritious meals.

Bill Greenwood