Darfur Crisis: A Call to Action

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring

PORT SUDAN/NEW YORK – 26 March 2025 – The plight of children in Sudan’s Darfur region has reached alarming heights this year. Reports reveal a striking 83% surge in child casualties compared to the same period last year. The situation in North Darfur is particularly dire, with 110 violations verified, painting a grim picture of the region’s future.

In the beleaguered town of Al Fasher, North Darfur, a heartbreaking toll on young lives is evident. More than 70 children have fallen victim to violence, either killed or maimed in a span of barely three months. This town, once bustling with life, now echoes with the haunting rhythm of shelling and airstrikes, especially haunting in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs). Here, a staggering 16% of all verified child casualties have occurred. One might wonder, how do such tender souls become targets in a conflict they had no role in igniting?

“An estimated 825,000 children are trapped in a growing catastrophe in and around Al Fasher,” shared UNICEF’s Sudan Representative, Sheldon Yett. His voice carried the weight of countless untold stories. “When you look at these verified numbers, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. The true toll is likely far worse, with children enduring a daily battle for mere survival. Facing death from conflict or the collapse of vital services they rely on, these kids are the true innocent victims.”

The scale of displacement is overwhelming. More than 60,000 individuals have been forced to flee in just six weeks, adding to over 600,000 displaced since violence escalated in April 2024. This group includes 300,000 children, each with a story that remains largely unheard. Al Fasher shelters an estimated 900,000 people, and the Zamzam camp holds 750,000, all cornered by continuous conflict. Imagine a sea of humanity, half of them children, living with uncertainty as their daily companion.

All routes of escape or aid are sealed. The once vital Tawila-Zamzam road is no longer safe to tread. There are constant threats from armed factions targeting rural areas, rendering aid delivery a near impossibility. The community faces severe shortages of essentials like water, food, and medicine. Recent reports indicate food prices have doubled in just three months. Echoes from the marketplace bring tales of families struggling against the harsh realities of inflation.

“When springs dry, only the resilient quench their thirst during the drought,” an old local proverb, now starkly relevant.

Despite these bleak circumstances, hope flickers. Many humanitarian organizations had to halt operations, yet UNICEF remains undeterred. Collaborating with partners like Relief International, Tabasheer, and the State Ministry of Health, they continue their mission in areas like Al Fasher and IDP camps such as Zamzam and Abu Shok. However, the specter of malnutrition looms large. North Darfur is home to over 457,000 acutely malnourished children, with almost 146,000 suffering from the severe acute malnutrition (SAM) — a malady ranking among the deadliest.

Three months ago, UNICEF managed to deliver critical supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to Al Fasher, but those reserves are now exhausted. Continuous efforts to replenish these supplies face significant hurdles — threats from armed militants and rampant banditry. In Zamzam alone, 2,300 severely malnourished children are receiving treatment, yet their lifeline of RUTF is projected to run dry within three weeks.

Key supplies — health, nutrition, and WASH — remain stranded, obstructed by active conflict, with shelling in Zamzam presenting further challenges. Health workers at UNICEF-supported facilities have had to relocate temporarily, putting sick children at heightened risk. It is estimated that if the current standoff prevents delivery, 500,000 children could face imminent life-threatening conditions.

This dire picture urges immediate action. UNICEF has appealed to all factions in this turmoil to ensure safe, unrestricted humanitarian access, enabling critical aid to reach the children in affected areas like Al Fasher and Zamzam.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to this hell on earth,” Yett implores with emotion. “Children’s lives hang in the balance. We continue to urge Sudan’s government, conflict parties, and external supporters to align efforts to cease hostilities and adhere to international laws — ensuring aid reaches those who desperately need it.”