At Least 239 Children Die in Western Sudan Since January Amid Siege and Humanitarian Crisis

At Least 239 Children Die in Western Sudan Since January Amid Siege and Humanitarian Crisis
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At least 239 children have died in western Sudan since January due to severe shortages of food and medicine, Anadolu Agency reported. The civilian medical group documented child deaths from malnutrition and critical lack of supplies in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, between January and June.

The Network warned of worsening hunger and ongoing attacks on children’s nutrition warehouses in El Fasher, which remains under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The statement condemned the international community’s neglect of Darfur’s children, who have endured over a year of siege conditions.

El Fasher and surrounding camps face near-total scarcity of food and medical supplies, with basic necessities priced beyond reach for many. The Network urgently appealed for action to protect civilians subjected to constant siege and bombardment.

It called on regional and international organizations to pressure the RSF to accept a UN-proposed truce and allow humanitarian corridors to open for aid delivery. Fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF has raged in El Fasher since May 10, despite warnings about the city’s strategic importance as a humanitarian hub for Darfur.

Sudan’s Sovereign Council chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, recently approved a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in El Fasher following a call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The RSF has yet to comment on the ceasefire proposal. The conflict between RSF and the army, ongoing since April 2023, has caused thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.