UNICEF warns of an acute child malnutrition crisis in North Darfur after screening 500 children in Um Baru found 53% acutely malnourished and one in six with severe acute malnutrition. The agency urged immediate, safe access for lifesaving treatment as civilians flee intensified fighting between Sudan’s army and the RSF. The RSF’s capture of el‑Fasher and advances into Kordofan have driven displacement, reports of atrocities and worsening hunger across the region.
Half of Children Malnourished in Parts of Sudan’s Darfur, UNICEF Warns
A woman and a child, displaced from North Darfur's capital el-Fasher or other conflict-affected areas, walk in the newly established el-Afadh camp in al-Dabbah, in Sudan's Northern State, Sudan, on November 13, 2025 [Marwan Ali/AP Photo]
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, has sounded the alarm over an unprecedented level of child malnutrition in parts of North Darfur and called for immediate, safe and unhindered access to deliver lifesaving care.
In screenings earlier this month in the Um Baru locality, UNICEF found that approximately 53% of 500 children were acutely malnourished. About one in six of those screened were suffering from severe acute malnutrition — a life‑threatening condition that can kill a child within weeks if not treated.
“When severe acute malnutrition reaches this level, time becomes the most critical factor,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children in Um Baru are fighting for their lives and need immediate help.”
Humanitarian Access and Displacement
Many people now in Um Baru recently arrived from el‑Fasher after fighting escalated there in late October. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have fled the famine‑affected city. Those who escaped have reported mass atrocities — including killings, sexual assaults and detentions — attributed to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops.
On Friday, a UN humanitarian team was granted access to el‑Fasher for the first time in two years. Denise Brown, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, told Reuters the delegation found the city largely deserted and described it as a “crime scene.” Many remaining civilians were sheltering in empty buildings or makeshift camps using plastic sheeting.
Worsening Conflict and Hunger
The conflict that began in 2023 has killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 12 million people and triggered famine in several parts of Sudan. The RSF, having consolidated control in parts of Darfur after capturing el‑Fasher, is now pushing east into the Kordofan region and maintaining sieges on Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan — actions that have further aggravated the hunger crisis.
“Each passing day brings staggering levels of violence and destruction,” UN Assistant Secretary‑General Mohamed Khaled Khiari told the UN Security Council. “Civilians are enduring immense, unimaginable suffering, with no end in sight.”
Political Stalemate
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire. Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris presented a peace plan to the UN Security Council that calls for the RSF to disarm; the RSF dismissed the proposal as “wishful thinking.” Army commander General Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan said a settlement must include the laying down of arms.
The combination of escalating violence, constrained humanitarian access and mass displacement is creating a rapidly deteriorating situation for children and families. UNICEF and other aid agencies say urgent, guaranteed access is essential to prevent further deaths from malnutrition and disease.
