Severe Child Malnutrition Doubles in North Darfur Amid Worsening Crisis Across Sudan, UNICEF Warns.
Port Sudan:
UNICEF has issued an urgent warning over the deepening nutrition crisis in Sudan, revealing that the number of children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) across the Darfur region has surged by 46 per cent compared to the same period last year. The situation is especially dire in North Darfur, where over 40,000 children were treated for SAM in the first five months of 2025 — double the figure recorded during the same period in 2024.
The alarming spike in malnutrition comes amid ongoing conflict, displacement, and deteriorating humanitarian access. Attacks on displacement camps in Zamzam and Abu Shouk have triggered a mass exodus, forcing an estimated 400,000 to 450,000 people to flee toward Tawila, the Jebel Marra region, and other areas with little or no resources. Most families arrived with nothing: no food, no shelter, and no access to even the most basic necessities for survival.
“Children in Darfur are being starved by conflict and cut off from the very aid that could save them,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. “Even before the lean season fully takes hold, these numbers are dangerously high and will likely worsen without swift humanitarian action. This is a moment of truth; children’s lives depend on whether the world chooses to act or look away.”
Crisis Escalating to Emergency Levels
Surveys conducted between April and May 2025 across five states in Darfur revealed that 9 out of 13 localities had acute malnutrition rates surpassing emergency thresholds set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Yasin locality in East Darfur, the global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate reached 28 per cent — just below the critical 30 per cent threshold used to determine famine conditions. If this level is reached or surpassed, it will mark a devastating tipping point in a country already teetering on the edge of famine.
Beyond Darfur, the crisis extends across Sudan:
- North Kordofan: SAM admissions rose by over 70 per cent.
- Khartoum State: Admissions increased by 174 per cent.
- Al Jazirah State: A staggering 683 per cent increase in SAM admissions — some of which may reflect improved humanitarian access due to easing conflict in localized areas.
Health Infrastructure Collapsing
The combination of famine-like conditions, displacement, and a collapsing health system is pushing Sudan’s children to the brink. Cholera outbreaks, rising measles cases, and failing sanitation infrastructure are compounding the crisis. In Al Fasher and surrounding areas, violence has intensified, besieging entire neighborhoods and rendering hospitals inoperable. Aid convoys are facing repeated looting, and key supply routes are blocked.
UNICEF reports that it was able to deliver one shipment of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to Al Fasher earlier in the year, but since then, insecurity has halted all deliveries. Supplies are now exhausted, and health clinics in and around Zamzam have shut down.
Massive Displacement and Humanitarian Needs
In April alone, nearly 400,000 people fled Zamzam. Many made the harrowing 70-kilometre journey on foot to reach Tawila, where over 500,000 displaced people are now living in overcrowded conditions, with little access to food, clean water, or sanitation. Families are sheltering in schools, clinics, and open fields — conditions that are accelerating the spread of disease and malnutrition.
Despite monumental challenges, UNICEF and its partners continue to provide life-saving interventions. These include operating 14 primary health care centers and two mobile clinics in affected areas, drilling boreholes for clean water, and distributing food and medical supplies wherever access allows.
Urgent Appeal for Support and Access
UNICEF is calling for immediate global action to address the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. The organization has outlined three critical needs:
- Unhindered humanitarian access across Darfur and the Kordofans to reach children and families in need.
- Full funding of the humanitarian response, including uninterrupted supply chains for therapeutic foods and medical supplies. UNICEF requires an additional US$ 200 million to sustain and expand essential nutrition services.
- Diplomatic pressure on all parties to end hostilities and allow for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.
“Without urgent access and increased support, many more children will die of hunger and preventable diseases,” Yett warned. “The window to prevent a large-scale tragedy is rapidly closing.”
As Sudan descends deeper into conflict and humanitarian disaster, the fate of tens of thousands of children now rests on international will and response.
