El Fasher in Sudan becomes epicenter of child suffering: UN

United Nations: El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan, has become the epicenter of child suffering after being under siege for 500 days, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said conditions in the state were deteriorating at an alarming pace. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that malnutrition, disease and violence were taking a daily toll on young lives, with an estimated 260,000 civilians, half of them children, trapped in the city and cut off from humanitarian aid for more than 16 months, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to UNICEF, more than 10,000 children in El Fasher have been treated for severe acute malnutrition since January, almost twice last year’s figure. At least 63 people, mostly women and children, reportedly died of malnutrition in just one week.

The agency said the siege by the Rapid Support Forces militia had completely severed supply routes. Health facilities and mobile nutrition teams have been forced to suspend operations due to a lack of resources, leaving about 6,000 severely malnourished children without treatment.

OCHA added that the crisis is compounded by a cholera outbreak in North Darfur. “We and our partners have scaled up support for the cholera response, including medical supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, which has helped contain the outbreak," the office said. "However, new cases are emerging in remote communities where access to health care is limited,” it said.

UNICEF also reported that since the start of the siege in April 2024, more than 1,100 grave violations had been verified in El Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of over 1,000 children. It warned that the true number of affected children is likely to be far higher due to limited access and verification challenges.