Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
11 June 2025 | 16:00 CAT

MSF Staff talking to one of the mothers admitted to MSF’s program to care for lactating and pregnant women suffering from severe malnutrition, while waiting to receive the food baskets.

A devastating new report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) titled Voices from South Darfur has painted a harrowing picture of daily life in the region. Over a year since South Darfur saw a pause in front-line fighting, communities are still trapped in what MSF’s Humanitarian Affairs Advisor, Kyle McNally, describes as “an unimaginable level of destruction.”

McNally revealed during an interview with Radio Islam International, that “basic infrastructure has been decimated — water systems, sanitation facilities, and healthcare centres lie in ruins.” This breakdown has opened the door to disease outbreaks and left thousands of women and children without access to critical sexual and reproductive health services.

“There are significant levels of maternal mortality,” said McNally. “People are living with very few to little coping mechanisms whatsoever.”

Despite the temporary lull in ground combat, airstrikes have increased, and notably, the United Nations has not resumed operations in South Darfur — once a hub for humanitarian activity. “Two years on, there is no meaningful return of the UN or their services,” McNally stated. “That leaves very little for people to rely on.”

One of the most disturbing findings is the scale of sexual violence. “We’ve received over 600 survivors since last year,” McNally disclosed, adding that more than 70% of them sought help within 72 hours, a clear indication that “this abuse is ongoing — not just a relic of frontline conflict.”

The report also highlights a collapsed healthcare system. “Routine services like immunisations or even emergency maternal care are non-existent,” said McNally, calling for urgent donor support to rebuild these life-saving systems.

Equally alarming is the food crisis. “Severe acute malnutrition rates are twice the emergency threshold,” he warned, attributing it to both disrupted agriculture and the lack of humanitarian supplies.

Despite this bleak outlook, McNally acknowledged the extraordinary resilience of local communities: “Solidarity networks have become the lifeline for survival, stepping in where international actors have withdrawn.”

In a powerful closing, McNally said, “This is not about feasibility — it’s about political will. Silence is complicity, and the world cannot afford to look away.”

The MSF report is a call to conscience. The international community must act — and act now.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Annisa Essack and MSF’s Humanitarian Affairs Advisor, Kyle McNally.