Sudan’s Children Face Catastrophic Malnutrition as Conflict Intensifies
A deepening crisis in Sudan is pushing the nation’s children to the brink of starvation, with more than half facing acute malnutrition in parts of North Darfur. The alarming warning from UNICEF underscores a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation fueled by ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The latest data released by the IPC, a UN-backed global food security monitoring system, reveals “catastrophic” malnutrition rates in the localities of Um Baru, Kernoi, and At Tine. “Extreme hunger and malnutrition come for children first, the youngest, the smallest, the most vulnerable,” a UNICEF spokesperson stated. “In Sudan, it’s spreading… These are children between six months and five years old, and they are running out of time.”
Famine Thresholds Breached
The UN agency emphasized that famine thresholds have now been surpassed in previously low-risk areas like Um Baru and Kernoi. This escalation is directly linked to the ongoing conflict, mass displacement, the breakdown of essential services, and restricted humanitarian access. According to reports, these conditions are not isolated but “exist across vast swathes of Sudan,” raising fears of a widespread famine.
“If famine is looming there, it can take hold anywhere,” the spokesperson warned, highlighting the potential for a national catastrophe.
Beyond hunger, the prevalence of disease poses a significant threat to children’s survival. Nearly half of all children in At Tine were reported sick in the two weeks prior to the report, suffering from fever, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and lacking adequate vaccination coverage. Unsafe water and a collapsing healthcare system are turning treatable illnesses into fatal outcomes for already vulnerable children.
The agency issued a desperate plea for global attention, stating that more than half of the children in Um Baru are “wasting away while we watch.” “That is not a statistic. Those are children with names and a future that are being stolen,” the spokesperson emphasized.
Mass Displacement and a Ravaged Healthcare System
The conflict, now entering its third year, has forced 13.6 million people to flee their homes, with 9.1 million displaced within Sudan. The healthcare system is under immense strain, described as “ravaged by attacks, loss and damage of equipment and supplies, a shortage of health workforce and operational funds” by Dr. Shible Sahbani, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s representative in Sudan.
Since April 2023, WHO has verified 205 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in 1,924 deaths and 529 injuries. These attacks not only deprive communities of vital care but also instill fear among patients and healthcare workers, creating insurmountable barriers to treatment. The country is simultaneously battling outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, and measles.
While WHO and its partners are responding to these outbreaks, Dr. Sahbani stressed the urgent need for improved access and protection for health workers and facilities, in accordance with international humanitarian law. “Patients and healthcare workers should not risk death while seeking and providing care,” he said. “Above all, we call for peace…Peace is long due for Sudan.”
Human Rights Concerns and Regional Instability
These calls for peace echo those of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who recently briefed the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the “preventable human rights catastrophe” that unfolded in El Fasher, North Darfur, in October of last year. Thousands were killed during an 18-month siege of the city, according to testimonies gathered by Türk’s office.
The situation is particularly concerning in the Kordofan region, where a similar escalation of violence is feared. Responding to questions regarding external involvement in the conflict, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner expressed concerns about the role of other nations, “whether they’re directly involved, whether there are mercenaries on the ground from different countries, whether they’re providing arms, intelligence, funding or other support, whether they’re involved in the political economy of the conflict in Sudan.”
The unfolding crisis in Sudan demands immediate and sustained international attention to prevent further loss of life and protect the future of its children.
