CAIRO -- Mothers and children in the Sudanese region of South Darfur are experiencing one of the “worst” health emergencies in the world, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday, one of the consequences of the violence that has engulfed the country since April 2023. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said in its latest report that 114 maternal deaths occurred during the period from January to mid-August 2024. More than 50% of maternal deaths happened in medical settings, with sepsis being the most common cause of death in MSF-supported facilities.
Between January and June, 48 newborns died from sepsis at two MSF-backed medical facilities, the organization said. Malnutrition among children in South Darfur also exceeded emergency thresholds, the group said, adding that demands for medical attention “far exceed what MSF can respond to.” Sudan has been engulfed by violence since April of last year, when tensions between leaders of the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into intense fighting and spread across the country, including to Darfur.
The amount of critical aid reaching South Darfur rose slightly in June, when the U.N. World Food Program delivered life-saving food and nutrition to some families.
In August, 30,000 children under the age of two were screened for malnutrition, including nearly 33% who are acutely malnourished and 8.1% who are severely and acutely malnourished, MSF said Tuesday. “This i.