NEW YORK — The ongoing conflict in Sudan has reached a critical point in Darfur.
A staggering 5 million children are facing severe risks to their rights and protection amid unchecked violence, according to a recent report from UNICEF.
Over the last seven months, reported cases of children killed and injured in Darfur have spiked by 550%, compared to the entire year of 2022.
UNICEF
Of all killing and maiming incidents reported across Sudan, 51% involve children in Darfur.
Humanitarian crisis escalates
The humanitarian crisis has escalated rapidly since the outbreak of war on April 15, with the Darfur region bearing the brunt of the suffering.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed deep concern, stating, “Sudan – and Darfur in particular – has become a living hell for millions of children, with thousands being ethnically targeted, killed, injured, abused, and exploited. This must end.”
ALSO READ: In the Israel-Hamas war, children are the ultimate pawns – and ultimate victims
The reported number of severe child rights violations in Darfur represents a shocking 550% increase from the verified cases in 2022. Of all killing and maiming incidents reported across Sudan, 51% involve children in Darfur.
Additionally, 48% of the total reported sexual violence cases in Sudan occur in Darfur. Disturbingly, reports of child recruitment and use continue to surface.
1.2 million children are acutely malnourished
Beyond direct violence, over 1.2 million children under five in the Darfur states are suffering from acute malnutrition, with 218,000 facing severe acute malnutrition. Without urgent treatment and life-saving services, they are at high risk of death.
The recent surge in fighting has led to significant displacement in the region, with 1.7 million new internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur, nearly 40% of the total caseload in the country.
Almost half of them are children facing increased risks of abuse, violence, exploitation, and separation from their caregivers.
Vital services in Darfur, including health care and protection, have collapsed due to hindered access, looting, and lack of financial resources. Attacks on frontline workers have left nurses, teachers, doctors, and social workers unpaid for months.
ALSO READ: Over 3,000 children killed in Gaza in three weeks, surpassing four years of global child casualties
Critical infrastructure, such as water and sanitation systems and hospitals, has been damaged or depleted.
Amidst the ceaseless conflict, a generation of children in Darfur is at risk of losing their right to education, as almost all of the region’s 4,000 formal schools remain closed.
While UNICEF and its partners have been delivering lifesaving supplies to Darfur and supporting frontline workers, more action is urgently needed.
The organisation calls upon the international community to accelerate funding for essential lifesaving and resilience services and advocate for unhindered access.
UNICEF emphasises the necessity of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and reiterates its call for all parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Unfettered access and the removal of bureaucratic impediments are crucial to reaching the millions of vulnerable children and families across Sudan.
ALSO READ: Children in Palestine and Israel continue to suffer as international law is routinely ignored
