UNICEF: Children in Sudan Are Dying from Hunger, Disease, and Violence

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, has warned of the grim reality facing children in the country as the war continues into its 28th month.

Speaking at a press conference, Yett said, “The situation in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating. Children are dying from hunger, disease, and direct violence, and they are being deprived of essential life-saving services.”

He described the situation as “a looming catastrophe—an irreversible harm to an entire generation of children—not due to a lack of knowledge or tools to save them, but because of the failure to respond with the urgency and scale required.”

Yett noted that a number of UNICEF’s partners have been forced to scale back their operations in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan due to a lack of funding.

He stressed the urgent need to access aid-deprived areas such as El Fasher in North Darfur and Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, stating that “every day without access puts more children’s lives at risk.”

During his visit to Khartoum and Gezira last week, Yett said he witnessed the impact of the conflict on children and families. He saw destroyed homes and buildings, and reported that UNICEF’s warehouse in Khartoum had been looted and destroyed.

He also spoke of meeting mothers who had walked long distances in search of safety, and healthcare workers who continued to provide care to malnourished and sick children despite the dangers.