The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned of a sharp increase in child mortality and malnutrition in Darfur, reporting 110 grave violations against children in North Darfur alone since the beginning of the year. The number of child casualties in Sudan has risen by 83% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, stated that “an estimated 825,000 children are trapped in an escalating catastrophe in and around El Fasher,” warning that the actual number could be much higher as fighting continues and essential services collapse.
The organization reported that more than 70 children have been killed or injured in El Fasher in less than three months, while intense airstrikes on the Zamzam displacement camp have accounted for 16% of the city’s total child casualties.
Meanwhile, over 60,000 people have been displaced in North Darfur in the past six weeks, bringing the total number of displaced persons to more than 600,000 since April 2024, including 300,000 children. Additionally, around 900,000 people in El Fasher and 750,000 in Zamzam remain trapped by ongoing battles, half of whom are children.
UNICEF emphasized that insecurity has made delivering aid nearly impossible, with the region suffering from severe shortages of water, food, and medicine. Food prices have doubled over the past three months.
Children face a severe malnutrition crisis, with more than 457,000 children in North Darfur suffering from acute malnutrition, including 146,000 in critical condition. The organization warned that six localities in the state are at risk of famine.
UNICEF revealed that the therapeutic food supplies it had sent to El Fasher three months ago have now run out, while efforts to deliver new aid are being hindered by security threats. In Zamzam camp, 2,300 children are currently receiving treatment for acute malnutrition, but supplies are expected to run out within the next three weeks.
UNICEF has called for urgent intervention to save half a million children at immediate risk, urging the establishment of safe corridors for humanitarian aid delivery.
