27 September-3 October 2026 Sudan News Summary: IRC halts support, failed rains, and displacement in Blue Nile State

4 Oct

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are facing a severe funding crisis for aid programs following cuts by donor nations.
In a statement, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) announced that at least 473,700 people have lost access to healthcare, nutritional support, clean water, and protection services following the end of funding for its crisis response in Sudan.
The organisation reported the closure of 36 health facilities and 29 nutrition centres, as well as eight safe spaces for women and girls and six child-focused safe spaces.
The statement noted that the closure of health and nutrition facilities would severely impact Darfur, where malnutrition rates are among the worst and famine conditions have been confirmed in parts of the region.
The IRC emphasised that the suspension of water and sanitation support is a matter of grave concern; the closure of these programs coincides with the ongoing spread of cholera in Sudan, and the loss of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services for over 100,000 people increases the risk of disease outbreaks in already overcrowded displacement sites.

A lack of rainfall is threatening the agricultural season in the town of Gereida, located approximately 90 kilometres south of Nyala in South Darfur State, amid a significant decline in agricultural output and fears that living conditions and food security for the population will deteriorate further.
Local residents reported that the rainfall deficit has directly impacted crops and rendered large tracts of land unproductive, with current indicators offering little hope for a successful harvest this season.
Faced with poor grain yields, some farmers have resorted to harvesting crops solely for use as livestock fodder, with the decline in production coinciding with the difficult economic and security conditions currently plaguing the region.
Eyewitnesses in the area stated that current signs do not bode well for the agricultural season, warning that a failed harvest would directly impact the population, given their heavy reliance on agriculture as a primary source of income.
Vast areas across the Darfur and Kordofan regions are experiencing a rainfall shortage that has taken extensive agricultural lands out of production, raising concerns about a worsening food crisis in both regions.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported the displacement of approximately 7,000 people (about 1,400 families) from four villages in the Wad Al-Mahi locality of the Blue Nile region.
Separately, the Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative revealed the presence of 25,000 displaced persons in Qaysan, amidst severe shortages of food, water, shelter, and healthcare services.
The initiative confirmed that the estimated number of people requiring aid in the areas of Abu Qami, Dandan Al-Azaza, Dandan Al-Sheikh Shira, Abli, Dar Al-Aman, Babnusa, and Abu Ashar exceeds 100,000.
Field reports indicate that some displaced individuals have been forced to eat tree leaves due to hunger and a lack of food, compounded by the harsh conditions of the rainy season.
Field accounts also documented recurring deaths among pregnant women in certain areas due to difficulties in accessing medical treatment and health facilities, highlighting the collapse of health services and shortages of medicines, emergency care, and obstetric services.

Bill Greenwood