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Nearly two dozen children have died from malnutrition in central Sudan in a single month, highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolding as the country’s brutal civil conflict continues with no end in sight.
According to the Sudan Doctors Network, 23 children died between October 20 and November 20 in the besieged city of Kadugli and the town of Dilling in the Kordofan region. The medical professionals’ group reported that these deaths resulted from “severe acute malnutrition and shortages of essential supplies” in areas where a military blockade “prevents the entry of food and medicine and puts the lives of thousands of civilians at risk.”
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, pits the Sudanese military against the powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. What began as a power struggle between rival factions has evolved into one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises, with the death toll now exceeding 40,000 according to United Nations figures—though aid organizations suggest the actual number may be significantly higher.
Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan province, was officially declared to be experiencing famine earlier this month by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The RSF has surrounded the town for months, trapping tens of thousands of civilians as it attempts to seize territory from government forces. While similar hunger conditions reportedly exist in Dilling, also in South Kordofan, the IPC has not formally declared famine there due to insufficient data.
Hunger experts report that approximately 370,000 people in the Kordofan and Darfur regions had been pushed into famine conditions as of September, with another 3.6 million people just one step away from famine in these two regions. The crisis has been exacerbated by the shifting focus of the conflict after the military pushed the RSF out of the capital, Khartoum, earlier this year.
Since then, the paramilitary group has concentrated its resources on Kordofan and the city of el-Fasher, which until recently was the military’s final stronghold in Darfur. The RSF captured el-Fasher earlier this month, triggering a new wave of displacement as tens of thousands fled to overcrowded camps to escape reported atrocities.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that RSF fighters attacked the Saudi Hospital in el-Fasher, killing more than 450 people. Aid workers and displaced residents report that paramilitary forces went house to house, committing killings and sexual assaults against civilians.
New evidence suggests the humanitarian nightmare continues to unfold. The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released satellite imagery on Friday showing what appears to be ongoing efforts by RSF forces to dispose of corpses at various locations in el-Fasher, including the grounds of the Saudi Hospital and a compound in the Daraja Oula neighborhood—areas where the paramilitary group allegedly carried out mass killings during their takeover of the city in late October.
“The combination of likely body disposal via immolation, lack of traditional burial activities and lack of market activity raises significant concerns about the presence of civilians and the sustainment of life for those who remain in el-Fasher,” the research lab stated in its report.
The Yale researchers added that it’s highly probable most civilians who were in el-Fasher before the RSF attack on October 26 “have been killed, have died, are detained, are in hiding, have fled, or are otherwise unable to move freely.”
The war has created what many experts describe as the world’s largest current humanitarian crisis. Over 14 million people—roughly a third of Sudan’s population—have been forced to flee their homes. Disease outbreaks are spreading in overcrowded displacement camps with limited sanitation and medical resources, compounding the misery caused by widespread food insecurity and famine.
As international attention remains fragmented across multiple global crises, aid organizations continue to sound the alarm that Sudan’s catastrophe is unfolding with insufficient humanitarian response or diplomatic pressure to bring the warring parties to negotiate a lasting ceasefire.
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7 Comments
Malnutrition is a devastating consequence of the protracted conflict in Kordofan. The military blockade preventing food and medicine from reaching civilians is a grave human rights violation. Urgent action is needed to address this crisis.
I agree, the blockade is unacceptable. All sides must allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to reach those in dire need.
The death of 23 children from malnutrition in just one month is a devastating statistic. This crisis underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan to prevent further loss of innocent life.
This is a tragic loss of young life. The Sudanese government and all parties to the conflict must prioritize the wellbeing of civilians and ensure safe passage for food, medicine, and other essential supplies.
Malnutrition among children is a horrific consequence of the ongoing turmoil in Sudan. The international community must intervene to provide emergency aid and push for an immediate ceasefire and political solution to this conflict.
I agree, the international response has been woefully inadequate so far. More pressure and resources are needed to address this humanitarian catastrophe.
This is a heartbreaking situation. The ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing immense suffering, with vulnerable children bearing the brunt. I hope the international community steps up to provide urgent humanitarian aid and a path to peace.