El Fasher, April 14(Darfur 24)
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that nearly 825,000 children in El Fasher, North Darfur, are at risk of death.
Eva Hinds, UNICEF Sudan’s Chief of Advocacy and Communications, said the situation is extremely dire in El Fasher and surrounding areas, especially Zamzam camp, where famine has been declared.
She added: “This is a place where death is a constant threat to children, whether due to the fighting around them or the collapse of the services they rely on for survival.”
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of Zamzam camp after three days of fighting, while reports indicate that tens of thousands have fled to El Fasher, Tawila, and Korma.
Eva Hinds reported that nearly 70 children were killed and injured in less than three months in North Darfur, with Zamzam camp alone accounting for 16% of the total confirmed child casualties in El Fasher as a result of shelling and airstrikes.
She stressed that the closure of access roads and the targeting of villages by armed groups have made aid delivery almost impossible. As a result, children and their families face severe shortages of water, food, medicine, and nutritional supplies, leading to skyrocketing prices.
Eva Hinds stated that the remaining partners on the ground are making strenuous efforts to confront the spectre of famine and widespread malnutrition. An estimated 457,000 children are acutely malnourished, including nearly 146,000 of the severe form, which makes them 11 times more likely to die.