13,000 Malaria Cases in Darfur

The Sudanese Ministry of Health has recorded 13,000 malaria cases in the city of El Fasher, North Darfur, as the disease spreads in the state amid a "significant shortage" of medications. Ahmed Al-Doumah, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health in North Darfur, stated that there has been a "large" increase in the number of malaria infections in El Fasher, according to local media reports. Al-Doumah added that the major shortage of malaria medications and the lack of support from organizations to combat epidemics, along with delayed payments for workers, have "worsened" the health situation in the state. He noted, "The closure of banks prevents organizations from fulfilling their financial commitments to support the health sector." It was mentioned that the organization Médecins Sans Frontières plans to open four centers in El Fasher to treat malaria cases. The World Health Organization has warned since the beginning of the conflict about the outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever, and measles in Sudan, noting that millions of children and pregnant women are suffering from severe malnutrition.