The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the deterioration of humanitarian and health conditions inside Al‑Jalabi Prison in the city of El Daein, East Darfur State, amid a severe shortage of basic services and the spread of diseases among detainees, raising concerns that the situation could escalate into a humanitarian disaster.
According to information documented by CFJ, the prison suffers from a lack of drinking water and sanitation services, while waste has accumulated inside prison wards and drainage systems and sewage pits have overflowed. These conditions have reportedly led to environmental contamination and a rise in cases of skin and gastrointestinal diseases among detainees.
Available information indicates that these conditions, coupled with overcrowding and congestion, pose a direct threat to the lives of detainees and public health, particularly in light of shortages in personnel and resources necessary to manage the prison and provide essential care and services.
Al‑Jalabi Prison is the principal detention facility in East Darfur State and has reportedly experienced a growing detainee population since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023. According to security sources, the prison currently holds approximately 400 detainees, in addition to 170 individuals arrested during recent campaigns targeting what authorities described as “negative phenomena” in the city of El Daein.
The Committee for Justice calls on the relevant authorities to take urgent action to improve conditions inside the prison, ensure access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and adequate healthcare, and guarantee detention conditions that protect the lives, health, and dignity of all detainees.
CFJ also calls for granting humanitarian and human rights organizations access to the prison in order to assess detention conditions and monitor the well‑being of detainees.