RSF Accused of Killing 9 Pregnant Women in North Darfur

El-Fasher – Sudanhorizon

The Ministry of Health in North Darfur State accused the rebel Rapid Support Militia of causing the death of 9 pregnant women in the Kafut area of the rural locality of Al Fasher last week after preventing them from reaching Al Fasher to receive safe health delivery services.

The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, said in a press statement, on Wednesday, that his ministry has been receiving continuous reports from various hospitals and rural health centers indicating that Rapid Support elements are preventing elderly patients, pregnant women, and children from reaching El-Fasher to receive treatment, in addition to blocking roads to prevent the arrival of humanitarian aid, food commodities, and medicine, which threatens the spread of malnutrition and epidemic diseases associated with food shortages.

Dr. Khater appealed to international, humanitarian, and justice organizations and free people of Darfur in all countries of the world to take the actions of the Rapid Support Militia towards civilians in the state seriously and put an end to them so that the situation does not slide into worse than it is now.

Regarding reports indicating the emergence of cholera and malnutrition diseases in Zamzam camp south of El Fasher due to the spread of hunger, Dr. Khater added that he had observed the situation there in the field and was assured that the five health centers and the temporary hospital continued to provide treatment services to the camp residents and the surrounding villages, which contributed to the stability of the health conditions of the displaced, noting that these health facilities had not recorded any epidemic or non-epidemic cases during the past days.

Dr. Khater added that he had also been assured of the availability of medicines and therapeutic foods provided by UNICEF for infants, pregnant women, and nursing mothers through the malnutrition treatment center in the camp.

He stressed in this regard that his ministry had conducted a survey to compare the nutritional status of the cases currently in the camp with those recorded last year.

He indicated that the survey results did not show a significant difference, suggesting that there is no large food gap in the camp as is being promoted, however, all residents of the state need food, medicine, and water.