Sudanese Pregnant Women Flee War-Torn City, Face Life-Threatening Complications

Image Source: Internet

CAIRO — The ongoing conflict in Sudan's West Darfur region has pushed thousands of pregnant women to flee their homes in search of safety, leaving them vulnerable to life-threatening complications. Nadra Mohamed Ahmed, seven months pregnant at the time, trekked 40 kilometers through unsafe roads to reach a shelter in al-Dabbah, northern Sudan. She arrived at the camp two months before her hometown, el-Fasher, was seized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN population agency estimates over 2,000 women have fled the city to escape the fighting. More than 140 pregnant women have arrived at al-Dabbah camps since el-Fasher's fall, with many suffering severe complications, including hemorrhaging, which sometimes leads to miscarriage. Ahmed, who lost her sister in the fighting, said she had no access to medical facilities in el-Fasher. "I was admitted to the ICU, where I spent a few days and had a blood transfusion," she said. The RSF's rampage through el-Fasher, where they killed 460 patients and their companions at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, has left thousands of pregnant women without access to life-saving maternal care. Rasha Ahmed, eight months pregnant, recently arrived in Tawila, a town 60 kilometers west of el-Fasher, with no access to medical care or basic necessities. According to the UN population fund, more than 2,300 pregnant women are believed to have left el-Fasher since October 27. The UNFPA has facilitated 102 deliveries in recent weeks, but the newborns face difficult conditions at the overcrowded camps. Pregnant and lactating women are also struggling with malnutrition, with a 60% rate of global acute malnutrition among those examined upon arrival in Tawila. The war between the RSF and the military, which began in 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million. Britain's foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has called for a truce to allow life-saving supplies to be brought in. The UK government plans to introduce potential sanctions on those involved in rights abuses in Sudan without providing details.