Sudan’s Child Crisis Reaches Breaking Point, UN Warns

In a stark assessment that underscores the devastating human toll of Sudan’s civil conflict, UNICEF revealed on Friday that the nation faces an unprecedented humanitarian emergency, with millions of children caught in the crossfire of a war that has torn apart Africa’s third-largest country.

The figures paint a harrowing picture: 3.2 million children under five are grappling with acute malnutrition, with more than 700,000 of them at risk of the most severe form of the condition, which can prove fatal if left untreated. These findings emerged during a sombre news briefing led by UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at the organisation’s headquarters.

“What we’re witnessing in Sudan has become the world’s largest child displacement crisis,” Dujarric said, describing scenes of desperate mothers trudging for weeks across unforgiving terrain in search of safety and sustenance. “Five million children have been forced from their homes, many fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs.”

The humanitarian catastrophe stems from the brutal power struggle that erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. The conflict has shattered the nation’s already fragile infrastructure and healthcare system, creating what aid workers describe as a perfect storm of deprivation.

The human cost continues to mount. According to joint estimates from the UN and local authorities, more than 20,000 people have lost their lives in the fighting, whilst an staggering 14 million have been displaced – roughly a quarter of Sudan’s population.

Dujarric warned that without immediate intervention to remove barriers to food access and essential services, the death toll, particularly among children, will likely climb. The crisis has stretched humanitarian resources to their breaking point, with aid organisations struggling to reach those most in need amid the ongoing violence.

As Sudan enters another year of conflict, the plight of its youngest citizens serves as a devastating reminder of war’s heaviest burden: the suffering of those least equipped to bear it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​