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July 25, 2024 (Dillin) – Residents of Dillin, South Kordofan State, Sudan, are facing severe food shortages and rising prices. Due to the lack of humanitarian assistance, some people are relying on leaves and animal feed to survive.
Safiya Gibran, a resident of Dillin, told Sudan Tribune that the price of a bag of corn has tripled in the past three months to 300,000 Sudanese pounds ($510). Other staples such as flour and rice now cost 5,000 Sudanese pounds per kilogram.
“Most residents, especially those displaced in shelters, are surviving on leaves and leftover animal feed,” Jibran said. “All roads leading to the city have been blocked. We need rescue and quick intervention. People here are starving to death.”
The city’s isolation is the result of a combination of factors, including clashes between the Sudanese army, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North. The fighting has closed important supply routes, cutting off the flow of food and other essentials.
Dillin is the second largest city in South Kordofan State and has attracted thousands of displaced people fleeing fighting in nearby areas. They are now living in shelters, lacking basic necessities and relying on limited assistance to survive.
Maryam Arzaq, a displaced person from Dillin, described her daily struggle to feed her children. “Every day after dawn prayers, I wake up and stand in long lines at the shelter to get a small amount of lentils, which is barely enough for one person,” she told Sudan Tribune.
The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of cash liquidity due to deteriorating communication and internet services, forcing residents to rely on banking apps for transactions.
Residents called for urgent humanitarian intervention to prevent further suffering and loss of life in the besieged city.
Eating leather and leaves during siege
Due to the siege and severe food shortages, some Dillin residents have resorted to desperate measures such as eating leather to make ends meet. Local resident Zainab Askar told Sudan Tribune that the road closures cut off humanitarian aid and commercial convoys, leaving the city without essential goods.
“Because the roads are blocked, no humanitarian aid or commercial convoys are allowed to enter, resulting in a shortage of supplies,” Askar told Sudan Tribune, adding that many citizens are left to eat leather and rely on herbs collected from the mountains.
“Many residents survive by eating ‘leather’,” Askar said, adding that residents also rely on herbs such as “Arak Al-Nabi” and “Al-Khol” to stay alive.
A vendor at Dillin market confirmed that goods have become unaffordable due to soaring prices. He told Sudan Tribune that traders risk their lives to transport goods, often using livestock such as donkeys, camels and cattle to cross dangerous roads.
The lack of job opportunities has exacerbated the crisis. Osman, a resident who has not received a salary for more than six months and has resorted to begging in the market to feed his seven children, called on the warring parties to open roads to allow aid to reach the city.
A report by the Deering Humanitarian Aid Commission estimates that there are approximately 90,884 displaced people in the city, including those who arrived after April 15, 2023, as well as those displaced since 2011. The city’s total population is approximately 189,371.
The report highlights the urgent need for staple foods such as maize, flour, oil, onions and lentils, as well as health, water and nutrition interventions. It also calls for the provision of shelter materials and psychosocial support.
This article is part of the Sudan Media Forum’s campaign to fight famine in Sudan, “Stand with Sudan”.
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