During a recent visit to the states of Al-Jazeera and Khartoum, a representative from UNICEF described the dire humanitarian crisis affecting children and families in Sudan as the largest in the world. Sheldon Yett noted the presence of displaced communities and children forced to flee, residing in overcrowded neighborhoods.
In a press briefing via video from Geneva, Yett mentioned the destruction of the organization’s supply warehouse in Khartoum and the rapid spread of cholera, alongside the few functioning health and nutrition treatment centers in the area that are overwhelmed with patients.
On Tuesday, the World Food Program raised alarms about the imminent threat of famine facing the residents of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, surrounded by Rapid Support Forces. Following a famine declaration in the nearby Zamzam camp a year ago, El Fasher has been cut off from humanitarian aid due to a blockade imposed by the Rapid Support Forces since May 2024, amid ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army.
Eric Buerdeson, the Regional Director for the World Food Program in East and Southern Africa, stated that the daily struggles in El Fasher have become unbearable, noting that “resilience has completely eroded after more than two years of warfare.” He warned that lives would be lost without immediate and sustainable access to essential resources. Since the loss of the capital Khartoum, which the army regained control of in March, the Rapid Support Forces have intensified their attacks on El Fasher and surrounding refugee camps.
In April, an attack on the Zamzam camp led to a significant influx of civilians fleeing violence into El Fasher, the only remaining capital in the sprawling Darfur region that remains outside the control of the Rapid Support Forces. According to the World Food Program, the prices of essential goods have soared, with sorghum and wheat used for making bread and porridge now costing 460% more in El Fasher. Markets are nearly empty of products, and most communal kitchens have shut down.
Many families are left to consume animal feed or waste, while malnutrition rates among children have reached alarming levels.
Around 40% of children under five are severely malnourished, with 11% facing acute malnutrition, according to the UN program. In 2023, famine conditions have emerged in the peace and Abu Shouk camps, as well as several regions in South Sudan. The ongoing conflict in Sudan, now entering its third year, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced, creating what the United Nations describes as “the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”