Thousands of people displaced by fighting in Geissan locality in Sudan’s Blue Nile region are facing extremely difficult humanitarian conditions after being forced to seek refuge in forests, amid acute shortages of food, medicine and shelter materials, and a lack of healthcare services.
The situation has driven some families to turn to herbal remedies in an attempt to treat illnesses.
Thousands of residents fled from the areas of Geissan, Bakori, Al-Yas, Amsi, Madlan, Al-Madina 10 and the Umara Dalo area, only to find themselves stranded in forests and surrounding areas near Shaira, Dandan and Abu Qumai, without access to even the most necessities.
Yagoub Abini, a displaced person, said they have been forced to use old plastic sheeting and construct makeshift shelters from tree fronds.
“Mosquitoes and the spread of disease have compounded our suffering, and some families have between five and six members suffering from various illnesses, particularly children, women and older people,” he said. “We are yet to receive any assistance from humanitarian organizations or other agencies to help them cope with our dire circumstances.”
With healthcare services unavailable and medicines difficult to obtain, fears are growing over the spread of disease among displaced people, particularly women and children. Some families have consequently resorted to using herbs and plants as alternatives to medical treatment.
For her part, Inam Hussein recounted her sick daughter’s ordeal, saying the girl was vomiting and suffering from headaches and back pain.
“The displaced families cannot even obtain basic medicines, including Panadol tablets, forcing us to use tree barks and leaves as remedies,” she said. “The plants are boiled in water before the resulting liquid is consumed.”
According to Ayman Abdel-Karim, a local activist with the Geissan Displaced People’s Gathering, displaced families are spread across four main gathering centres: Al-Madina 10, Dandan, Shaira and Abu Qumai.
“The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. The Al-Madina 10 center is hosting 562 families and a communal kitchen has been established to provide meals, but it has since stopped operating because of a lack of essential supplies,” he said. “The Dandan center is hosting 314 families but has yet to receive any humanitarian assistance from aid organizations.”
“Another 312 families are sheltering at Abu Qumai, where diseases are spreading amid the absence of healthcare services,” Abdel-Karim added.
He also reported cases of an illness referred to by displaced people as “sea worm,” which causes skin irritation and throat pain. Malaria is also widespread, while some displaced families have turned to herbal remedies because medicines and medical services are unavailable.
At the Shaira centre, Abdel-Karim said the number of displaced people had reached approximately 1,700 families, comprising nearly 8,000 people, without sufficient humanitarian assistance to meet their needs.
He appealed to humanitarian organizations and relevant authorities to intervene urgently to address the needs of displaced people and provide healthcare and essential assistance.
Faced with these conditions, displaced people are appealing for urgent intervention from humanitarian organizations and relevant authorities to provide food, medicine, and shelter materials, as well as healthcare services, to save thousands of civilians stranded in the forests.
The humanitarian crisis is unfolding as fighting continues between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Geissan, Kurmuk, and Wad Al-Mahi localities in the Blue Nile region, raising fears of further displacement and escalating humanitarian needs.
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