Tragic Losses of Children Amid Food Crisis in Sudan's Displacement Camps

The ongoing civil war in Sudan has led to a catastrophic food crisis, with 13 children dying from malnutrition-related issues in a displacement camp. Calls for urgent action from the international community emphasize the dire need for food and healthcare for vulnerable populations.

Thirteen children lost their lives last month in a displacement camp located in East Darfur, Sudan, due to a severe food shortage. Medics from the Sudan Doctors Network have reported that the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, with widespread starvation resulting from the ongoing civil war that has now entered its third year.

Lagawa camp, situated in the city of el-Daein, houses around 7,000 people who have suffered from repeated armed attacks. The famine, first recognized in one of Sudan's western camps last year, has rapidly spread, affecting numerous regions across the war-torn nation. With the ongoing violence and humanitarian disasters, the call for aid continues to grow.

On Tuesday, the Sudan Doctors Network issued a statement urging immediate intervention from both the global community and humanitarian organizations. They stressed the necessity of providing food and vital healthcare services to the camp's residents, particularly to vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women.

El-Daein serves as the capital of East Darfur, and the area is fully controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), currently engaged in battle against the national military. The situation has deteriorated due to the civil conflict, wreaking havoc on already fragile humanitarian infrastructures, decimating the economy, and disrupting social services, thereby triggering a crisis in food supply.

Moreover, aid organizations have sounded alarms over potential cholera outbreaks in Darfur. The United Nations indicated a worrying rise in cholera cases in the city of Tawila, with over 1,500 serious infections, both confirmed and suspected, reported since June. The combination of collapsing water and sanitation systems, paired with inadequate vaccination efforts, poses a significant threat as cholera's risk escalates.

Sudan's descent into civil war began in April 2023, following a power struggle between the army and RSF—once allies transitioning from a coup to attempting a civilian-led governance plan. The resulting conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters seen globally, with tens of thousands of civilian casualties, over 12 million displaced, and nearly a million individuals facing famine conditions.