The seizure of El-Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has pushed Sudan into a terrifying new phase of its civil war.
Fears of genocide are mounting in western Darfur following the city’s collapse. This strategic loss for the national army has left civilians exposed to targeted violence and severe isolation.
Simultaneously, experts have officially confirmed famine conditions in parts of the region. The risk of mass starvation is spreading rapidly as the conflict grinds on.
UNICEF Chief Sounds the Alarm
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, visited the frontlines this week to assess the devastation. Her message was stark: children are bearing the brunt of the chaos.
Russell toured a boys’ school in Kassala State and a displacement site in Port Sudan. She witnessed firsthand the “staggering toll” the war has taken since erupting in April 2023.
A targeted War on Children
The violence shows no mercy to the most vulnerable. On December 8, a strike decimated a kindergarten in South Kordofan.
The attack killed at least 63 children. This tragedy highlights the total absence of safe havens for the nation’s youth.
Grim Statistics of the El-Fasher Conflict
The humanitarian numbers are catastrophic. According to UN data:
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Death Toll: Over 150,000 people have perished since fighting began.
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Displacement: 10 million people have fled their homes.
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Child Refugees: 5 million of the displaced are children.
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Aid Needed: 30 million people currently require humanitarian assistance.
Blockades and Starvation
The situation is most desperate in besieged zones like Darfur and Kordofan. Here, supply lines for food, water, and medicine have been severed.
Vulnerable populations are trapped without resources. Consequently, famine has taken hold, threatening to claim more lives than the bullets themselves.
Violence Against Women
Beyond the battlefield, a quiet epidemic of abuse is plaguing women and girls. Reports cite surging levels of sexual violence in conflict zones.
During her visit, Russell met survivors at a UNICEF-supported center offering psychosocial care. While these facilities provide a lifeline, they are scarce in the hardest-hit regions due to extreme insecurity.
Fragile Aid Efforts
Despite the danger, humanitarian teams are making inroads. In North Darfur, workers have successfully reunited over 200 unaccompanied children with their families.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to restore clean water supplies and medical clinics. However, UNICEF insists that only an immediate cessation of hostilities can truly halt the suffering surrounding El-Fasher and beyond.
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