Hunger Forces Kadugli Residents to Flee the City and Eat Grass

Sources and humanitarian workers said on Monday that hunger in Kadugli, South Kordofan State, has forced large numbers of residents to flee to other areas.

Kadogli is under a suffocating siege, amid what are described as the worst humanitarian conditions since the outbreak of the war.

Citizens are suffering from a near-total shortage of food supplies and unprecedentedly high prices.

The sources told Darfur 24 that the deteriorating humanitarian situation has forced large numbers of residents to flee.

The sources estimated that a quarter of the city’s population has already left, with most of the displaced 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 Kurtala areas in South Kordofan.

They indicated that the people of Kadugli are living between the hammer of hunger and the anvil of the siege, awaiting any sign of relief that might end their months-long suffering.

The sources stressed 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” 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 on the black market.

The sources reported that some residents have been forced to eat wild grasses for food, instead of standing in lines for days to get a “malwa” of sorghum, which is often only enough for one day.