Malnutrition Kills 23 Children in War-Torn Sudan as Famine Deepens

Malnutrition Kills 23 Children in War-Torn Sudan as Famine Deepens
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Nearly two dozen children have died from malnutrition-related causes within a month in central Sudan, reflecting the worsening humanitarian emergency as fighting intensifies between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to Arab News. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that 23 children died between October 20 and November 20 in the besieged city of Kadugli and the nearby town of Dilling in South Kordofan.

The group said the deaths were caused by severe acute malnutrition and critical shortages of food and medicine, worsened by a blockade that has trapped tens of thousands of civilians. Sudan has endured more than 30 months of war since the conflict erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed more than 40,000 people, a figure aid groups believe is significantly underestimated, and created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 14 million people have been displaced, disease outbreaks have spread and key regions have slipped into famine.

By September, an estimated 370,000 people in Kordofan and Darfur were already in famine, with another 3.6 million on the brink. Kadugli, where famine was formally declared earlier this month, has been encircled for months by RSF fighters attempting to seize territory after being pushed out of Khartoum. Dilling faces similar conditions, though limited data has prevented an official famine designation.

The conflict has escalated further after the RSF seized the city of el-Fasher, the military’s last stronghold in Darfur. Aid groups and UN officials report widespread atrocities, including the killing of more than 450 people at the Saudi Hospital and assaults on civilians. New satellite images released by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab indicate ongoing efforts by RSF forces to dispose of bodies in el-Fasher, raising grave concerns about the fate of remaining civilians.