UNICEF Warns: “No Child is Safe” Amid Escalating Violence in Al Fasher, Sudan. 

NEW YORK:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed grave concern over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Al Fasher, in Sudan’s Darfur region, as escalating violence continues to endanger the lives of thousands of children trapped in the conflict zone.

According to UNICEF, children in Al Fasher have been besieged for more than 500 days, enduring relentless shelling, heavy fighting, and acute shortages of food, safe water, and medical supplies. The latest surge in violence has made an already dire humanitarian crisis even more catastrophic.

“No child is safe,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. “While the full scale of the impact remains unclear due to widespread communications blackouts, the estimated 130,000 children in Al Fasher are at a high risk of grave rights violations, with reports of abduction, killing and maiming, and sexual violence.”

The agency has also received alarming reports of humanitarian workers being detained or killed, further hampering life-saving operations in the region.

UNICEF emphasized that the ongoing hostilities are putting children in extreme danger and violating fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The agency reiterated its urgent call for:

• An immediate ceasefire to end the violence;
• Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations;
• Protection of civilians, especially children; and
• Guaranteed safe passage for families seeking refuge from conflict areas.

“Those responsible for these grave violations must be held accountable,” UNICEF stated, underscoring that the safety, dignity, and rights of children must be prioritized in all humanitarian responses.

The crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region has intensified dramatically in recent months, with Al Fasher becoming a focal point of fighting between armed groups. Humanitarian agencies have struggled to reach civilians due to insecurity and blocked access routes, leaving hundreds of thousands without aid.

UNICEF continues to work with partners on the ground to provide emergency health care, nutrition, water, and child protection services, but warns that without immediate international action, the suffering of children in Al Fasher will deepen further.

“The world must not look away,” Russell urged. “Every day that the fighting continues, more children lose their lives, their families, and their futures.”