Humanitarian sources and workers said on Monday that hunger in Kadugli, South Kordofan State, has forced large numbers of residents to flee to other areas.
Kadugli is under has bee under siege, amid what are described as the worst humanitarian conditions since the outbreak of the war. Citizens are suffering from a near-total lack of food supplies and unprecedented prices hike.
The sources told Darfur 24 that “the deteriorating humanitarian situation has forced large numbers of residents to flee.”
They estimated that a quarter of the city’s population has already left, with most of the displaced people heading north toward the Hajr al-Jawad area, and from there to South Sudan. Others have fled to North Kordofan and White Nile states, while other groups have fled to the Delami and Kartala areas in South Kordofan.
They indicated that the people of Kadugli are now living between the” hammer of hunger and the anvil” of the siege, awaiting any sign of relief that might end their months-long suffering.
They emphasized that the living conditions in the city have become worse than before, with citizens standing in lines that stretch for days and sometimes up to a week or two—to obtain a single “malwa” (three kilos)of sorghum from the sales centers supervised by the authorities.
The price of a malwa at these centers is approximately 12,000 Sudanese pounds, while it reaches 30,000 Sudanese pounds in the black market.
The sources reported that some residents have been forced to eat Wild grasses , instead of standing in line for days to obtain a single malwa of maize, which is often not enough for just one day.
She pointed out that there are four “takayas” (places that provide free food) in the neighborhoods of Ban Jadid, the Teaching Hospital, Umm Batah, and the factories. These are supported solely by the efforts and donations of residents living outside the city, and they provide a meal of “maize and beans” to the poor and needy people.
