When Survival Becomes a Miracle: A Plea to Save the Forgotten Lives in the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains

 

The six months I spent in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions left an indelible mark on me. It was not merely an experience but a continuous confrontation with human suffering. Moving between Shali Hospital in the Blue Nile and the destroyed villages of Yabus, I faced death daily, witnessing the relentless battle of people struggling against hunger and disease without any glimmer of hope. In such dire circumstances, mere survival was a miracle, as life turned into an unending fight to stay alive in the complete absence of real support.

 

Shali and Yabus: Symbols of Conflict and Misery

 

At Shali Hospital, I witnessed heart-wrenching scenes: patients dying from treatable diseases like malaria, simply because medicine was unavailable. There was no one to rescue them. Every day, I buried victims of illness in hurried, modest funerals—without farewells, without rituals. Death came faster than we could process or cope with.

 

In Yabus, the situation was no better. The only hospital in the area that lacks doctors is staffed by a few poorly trained nurses and technicians. Out of 48 health posts across the Blue Nile, only 7 are operational, and none have qualified doctors. In such places, pain becomes part of daily life as patients are left to face their fate without medication or even the most basic healthcare.

 

The Weapon-for-Food Equation: An Inhumane Condition That Fuels War

 

What worsens the tragedy is the way the Sudanese government uses humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip in its conflict. In every negotiation with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the government demands that food and medicine only be allowed in exchange for delivering weapons to the Sudanese army, which is locked in a violent struggle against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This inhumane condition does not pave the way for peace but instead prolongs the war, meaning more death and suffering for millions of innocent people.

 

Aid Blockages and a Worsening Crisis

 

Even when aid is authorized, the Sudanese government imposes harsh conditions that hinder its delivery to affected areas. These delays deprive thousands of families of life-saving relief, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.

 

Refugees Without Shelter and Lost Hope

 

In refugee camps like Maban and Unity State along the South Sudan border, as well as the Kilo-Five camp in Ethiopia, hundreds of thousands live in deplorable conditions. These refugees fled not only bombings and war but also hunger and despair. Women and children are crammed into makeshift shelters, waiting for a miracle to rescue them from slow death, as UN aid falls short of meeting their needs.

 

Escalating Crises with Ongoing Displacement

 

Since fighting erupted in April, over a million displaced people have sought refuge in SPLM-N-controlled areas in the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, putting further strain on already scarce resources. Schools have closed, hospitals have shut down, and private pharmacies sell medicine at prices unaffordable to the displaced. Each passing day worsens the humanitarian crisis, with hope for a better tomorrow fading away.

 

An Urgent Need for International Intervention

 

If this situation continues without immediate international intervention, it will lead to an uncontainable humanitarian catastrophe. We urgently need to open humanitarian corridors without conditions and provide food, medicine, and shelter to save lives before the crisis deepens further.

 

A Call to Save Innocent Lives

 

What I witnessed in Shali Hospital and the refugee camps in Maban and Unity State is a stain on the conscience of humanity. The world cannot remain silent in the face of this disaster. Every minute that passes brings more hunger, more illness, and more death.

 

I write these words not only as a witness to suffering but as a plea to everyone with a conscience and the power to act. There must be an urgent response before we lose more lives. What is happening in the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains is an ongoing humanitarian tragedy that cannot be allowed to continue.

 

Every day of delay diminishes the chances of survival for millions. The people there need the world—now.