EL DAEIN – The Justice Committee warned of deteriorating humanitarian and health conditions inside Al-Jallabi Prison in El Daein, East Darfur, saying about 570 detainees are facing severe shortages of basic services and rising disease risks.

The committee said information it had monitored showed that the prison suffers from shortages of drinking water and sanitation services, while waste has accumulated inside detention wards. It also reported overflowing drains and manholes and a full sewage pit, creating contaminated conditions inside the facility.

According to the committee, the poor environment has contributed to a rise in skin and intestinal diseases among detainees.

The warning comes as detention facilities in parts of Sudan face growing pressure from the war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has weakened state institutions, disrupted health services and increased concerns over arbitrary detention, prison overcrowding and limited access for monitors.

Al-Jallabi Prison is the main prison in East Darfur State. Information cited by the committee indicates that the number of detainees has increased since the outbreak of the war.

Security sources said the prison holds about 400 detainees, in addition to 170 people recently arrested during campaigns targeting what authorities described as “negative phenomena” in El Daein.

The Justice Committee said overcrowding, poor sanitation, shortages of staff and limited capacity to provide care pose a direct threat to detainees’ lives and to public health.

It called on responsible authorities to intervene urgently to improve conditions inside the prison, provide drinking water, sanitation and medical care, and ensure humane detention conditions that protect the lives and safety of all detainees.

The committee also urged authorities to allow humanitarian and rights organizations to access the prison and assess the condition of inmates.

It warned that if the current situation continues, the crisis could worsen into a humanitarian and health disaster.