[IGNORE]UNICEF says 16 million children in Sudan at risk of starvation as war devastates nation

Millions of children in Sudan are suffering from the devastating effects of the ongoing civil war, facing daily threats of violence, starvation, and disease, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“The fighting is happening right at their doorsteps, around their homes, their schools and hospitals, and across many of Sudan’s cities, towns, and villages,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday.

Russell said 16 million children are struggling to survive in the war-torn country.

Among them, more than 1.3 million under the age of five are in famine-stricken areas, while another 3 million are at risk of deadly diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dengue due to a collapsing healthcare system.

16.5 million out of school

The conflict has also forced at least 16.5 million young people out of school, further endangering their future.

Sexual violence is another grim reality. Russell reported that last year, 221 cases of rape against children were recorded across nine of Sudan’s 18 states.

“In 16 of the recorded cases, the children were under the age of five. Four were babies under the age of one,” she said. She stressed that even if the war ends, the scars left on these children will remain.

“The trauma these children experience and the deep scars it leaves behind do not end with the signing of a ceasefire or a peace agreement. They will need ongoing care and support to heal and rebuild their lives,” Russell added.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear echoed these concerns, saying his teams in Sudan have also witnessed sexual violence on a horrifying scale.

“The vast majority including some younger than five had been raped, often by armed men. Nearly half were assaulted while working in the fields. Women and girls are not merely unprotected, they are being brutally targeted,” he told the Security Council.

Harrowing scenes

Lockyear, who visited Sudan six weeks ago, described harrowing scenes at a partner hospital in Omdurman, near the capital.

“I witnessed the lives of men, women, and children being torn apart in front of me,” he said.

The war erupted in April 2023 as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

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The United Nations has accused both sides of committing serious human rights violations, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire.

Despite repeated calls for peace, the conflict continues to rage on.

“While statements are made in this chamber, civilians remain unseen, unprotected, bombed, besieged, raped, displaced, deprived of food, of medical care, of dignity,” Lockyear told the 15-member Security Council.

Russell urged the international community to take action, stressing that UNICEF needs $1 billion (Sh129.45 billion) this year to provide life-saving aid to 8.7 million children in Sudan.

The funds would support critical services such as nutrition, healthcare, water, sanitation, and education.

Both Russell and Lockyear called on the council to press the warring factions to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in desperate need.

Meanwhile, the children of Sudan continue to suffer, their lives overshadowed by a conflict that shows no signs of ending.