UNICEF: 330 Children Killed In Sudan War, Over 1 Million Displaced

KHARTOUM, Sudan June 17 –More than one million children have now been displaced and over 330 others killed by two months of conflict in Sudan.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on June 15 said credible reports also indicated over 1900 other children have been injured as of June 6 and many more are at grave risk across Sudan.

Access is constrained for the most basic lifesaving services, leaving over 13 million children in dire need of humanitarian assistance – water, health, nutrition and protection. 

“The future of Sudan is at stake, and we cannot accept the continued loss and suffering of its children,” said Mandeep O’Brien, UNICEF Representative in Sudan.

UNICEF has called on all parties involved in the conflict to prioritize the safety and well-being of children, ensure their protection, and enable unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas.

“Children are trapped in an unrelenting nightmare, bearing the heaviest burden of a violent crisis they had no hand in creating – caught in the crossfire, injured, abused, displaced and subjected to disease and malnutrition,” O’Brien said.

The situation in Darfur is especially concerning. A continuing communication blackout and access constraints mean verified information on the situation is limited, but an estimated 5.6 million children live in the five Darfur states, with almost 270,000 of them estimated to have been newly displaced by the fighting so far.

The situation in West and Central Darfur, in particular, is characterized by active fighting, severe insecurity and looting of humanitarian supplies and facilities.

The lack of safe water has left hundreds of thousands of children at risk of dehydration, diarrhoea, and malnutrition. Right now, at least 14,836 children under-five are expected to be severely malnourished in West Darfur state.

These numbers are expected to be compounded by overall health risks, forcing a spike in malnutrition rates among children and lactating mothers. In Central Darfur, the immunization services and cold chain is not functional. Vaccines and supplies were looted and destroyed, placing children at significant risk of disease.

In East Darfur, insufficient healthcare resources, including a lack of electricity, oxygen, and functioning incubators, have led to the deaths of six children in El Daein Hospital during the month of May.