Save the Children Calls for Air Transport of Aid to West Darfur

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Save the Children expressed concern that children in West Darfur may be left without food for days unless aid is transported by air, following the collapse of the bridge connecting it to East Darfur. This collapse puts children at risk of malnutrition and other diseases.

Dr. Bashir Kamal Al-Din Hamid, Director of Health and Nutrition at Save the Children, said that heavy rains and widespread flooding in Sudan are worsening the suffering of families and children, especially those displaced by over 16 months of fighting. Contaminated water and the destruction of health facilities have also led to a widespread cholera outbreak.

He added, "Five days ago, raging floodwaters destroyed the only bridge linking Central and West Darfur states, creating a bottleneck on the West Darfur side of the river, preventing critical humanitarian aid from reaching more than 880,000 internally displaced people who have taken refuge in Central Darfur."

The Bari Bridge, located in the Murnei area of West Darfur, is the main passage for food supplies coming from Chad and South Sudan to the states of Central, South, and East Darfur, according to the Youth Civil Monitoring Network.

As part of the bridge has been swept away by floodwaters, citizens have begun taking dangerous and desperate measures by attempting to cross the river from one side to the other using a wooden raft, putting their lives at risk. A video seen by Save the Children shows a raft made of wood and metal barrels capsizing and throwing people into the river. Youth can also be seen diving into the river to rescue those from being swept away.

The organization stated that the floods have introduced new difficulties since the start of the rains in June in delivering humanitarian aid to those in dire need.

The organization called on the international community to intensify efforts and release the necessary funds and resources to rebuild the bridge and restore this vital connection between the two states, ensuring that displaced families and children in Central Darfur have unobstructed access to food, medicine, and other humanitarian services.