**Desperate Pleas Emerge from El-Fasher as Civilians Face Starvation and Cholera**

**Desperate families in the war-torn city of el-Fasher struggle for survival as food scarcity and disease grip the population.**

The women gathered around a community kitchen in el-Fasher are sharing heart-wrenching experiences of despair. "Our children are dying before our eyes," one mother laments, conveying the anguish shared by many in the besieged Sudanese city. As fighting continues between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), food supplies have dwindled, leaving families on the brink of starvation. With prices skyrocketing, a week’s worth of food now costs what one meal used to.

The situation worsens as a cholera outbreak spreads through overcrowded displacement camps, with the medical charity Doctors Without Borders stating this is the worst cholera epidemic in years in Sudan. Nearly 100,000 cases and 2,470 fatalities have been reported recently, particularly concentrated near el-Fasher. The conflict, having persisted for over two years, has particularly devastated the western Darfur region, where el-Fasher serves as a brutal frontline in the ongoing war.

Local volunteers, desperate to provide meals, have been resorting to using whatever food scraps they can find, such as ambaz residue from peanut processing, while flour and bread have become nearly impossible to find. In contrast, communities in regions where the army has regained control are beginning to see some food and medical aid reach them, but those in conflict zones like el-Fasher continue to suffer immensely.

The United Nations has called for a humanitarian pause, urging the warring factions to adhere to international laws and allow food convoys to deliver aid. The army has signaled readiness to permit aid trucks, yet the RSF remains evasive. In a troubling denial, RSF advisers claim that they do not target civilians, although local voices express fear of violence and starvation being used as weapons of war against them.

With hospitals overwhelmed and depleted of supplies, doctors are witnessing heartbreaking rates of malnutrition, especially among children. "Many malnourished children are admitted to hospitals, yet there are no therapeutic foods available," laments Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Khater, a pediatrician in el-Fasher. As children succumb to the dire lack of nutrition and medical care, the devastation grows more acute.

International NGOs raised alarms this week, noting a deliberate strategy of starvation and destruction targeting the civilian population. Despite some attempts at escape, displaced individuals fleeing recent violence face significant dangers and obstacles on their journey, further exacerbating their plight.

As they linger in crowded camps, these families share tales of trauma, desperation, and illness. Zanuba Ismail Ishaq, pregnant and frail, recounts horrific experiences that mirror many others' stories in these brutal circumstances. “We’re exhausted. We want this siege lifted,” pleads Faiza Abkar Mohammed from the soup kitchen amid calls for immediate aid, echoing the dire need for relief and hope in a city overwhelmed by tragedy and scarcity.