Sudan's children endure hunger as rival generals battle for power

People fleeing the town of Singa, the capital of Sudan's southeastern Sennar state, receive meals distributed by an NGO as they rest in a makeshift camp after arriving in Gedaref in the east of the war-torn country on July 2, 2024. [AFP]

It is just over one year since the North African nation of Sudan unravelled in a civil war that has largely been ignored by the world, overshadowed by the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and that of Israel and Palestine.

Whilst many international commentators have described the situation in Sudan as ‘The Forgotten War’, the strife has gained the infamy of having led to the highest number of displaced persons in 2023.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 9.1 Million Sudanese citizens have been uprooted from their homes as forces allied to Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo aka Hemedti, battle it out with the Sudanese army under General  Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Amid the morbidly unfurling brutal civil war, Sudan's children are facing an unprecedented crisis of hunger, disease, violence, and displacement. Some have been forcefully recruited by the paramilitary RSF as child soldiers.

Recent reports from Save the Children and UNICEF paint a grim picture of an entire generation at risk.

The scale of the crisis is staggering. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Partnership, the number of children facing severe food shortages in Sudan has nearly doubled in just six months.

An alarming 75 per cent of children – approximately 16.4 million – now experience daily hunger at crisis. This marks a sharp increase from 8.3 million in December 2023.

Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Sudan Representative, states that 17.7 million people in Sudan are facing severe hunger, including 4 million children grappling with acute malnutrition.

"We're trying to reach those millions of children with critical life-saving assistance to immediately prevent a looming famine that is on the brink in Sudan," Eagleton said.

Dr Arif Noor, Sudan’s Save the Children's Country Director, describes the situation as one that "should make our blood run cold."

“Our teams have been leading an integrated emergency response program which includes health, nutrition, water sanitation, hygiene, and protection activities,” he said.

The 14-month conflict has transformed Sudan's once-fertile regions into battlefields, leaving markets empty and food systems in ruins. 755,000 people facing catastrophic hunger levels, including an estimated 355,605 children.

The impact on children's health is severe. In one displacement camp, nearly a quarter of the children were found to be suffering from wasting, the most visible and lethal stage in malnutrition. Without immediate intervention, these children face long-term health consequences and even death.

Beyond hunger, children in Sudan are enduring unimaginable violence. UN data reveals a shocking six-fold increase in grave violations against the young ones in 2023, with at least 1,721 documented cases. These include the killing of over 480 children, the maiming of 764, and the recruitment of more than 200 into armed forces. Shockingly, at least 114 girls were subjected to rape or sexual violence.

Education, a cornerstone of childhood development and future prospects, has ground to a halt. Schools and hospitals have been forcefully occupied by militias allied to RSF. In one particular incident that was reported in mid-June, RSF fighters stormed a hospital in Al-Fasher and stole medical supplies and equipment after threatening members of staff. Al-Fasher has been cited as one of the regions where pogroms are being committed against civilian communities by the paramilitary unit.

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell says 17 out of 19 million children have been out of school for a year, depriving them of both learning and safety.

Despite the enormity of the crisis, the international response has been woefully inadequate. The UN's 2.7 billion Dollar response plan for Sudan is only 16.8 per cent funded.

Save the Children's analysis reveals a stark disparity in global priorities. In the first 105 days of 2024, Sudan received less humanitarian funding than was pledged in just two days to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

UNICEF's "Unite with the Children of Sudan" event in Nairobi sought to raise awareness and mobilize support.

Twelve-year-old Taha from Khartoum voiced the simple yet poignant wish of many Sudanese children: "I just want to go home." It is indeed a sentiment shared by many Sudanese children.

The causes of this crisis are clear. Both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have restricted aid delivery, with the RSF accused of plundering resources. RSF’s recent siege on El Fasher, a city of nearly two million people, exemplifies the man-made nature of this catastrophe.

UNICEF has been emphasising the need to protect all children and ensure humanitarian aid access across Sudan. Without the swift intervention, Russels says the country faces what she terms as a "generational catastrophe" with far-reaching implications for Sudan and the wider region.

As Russell warns, "If we don't do something, it's hard to imagine how bad it will be,” she adds.