Thirteen Children Die in East Darfur Displacement Camp Amid Severe Food Shortages as Sudan’s War Fuels Hunger and Disease

A worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan has claimed the lives of 13 children last month at a displacement camp in East Darfur as severe food shortages and malnutrition continue to devastate war-torn regions. The Sudan Doctors Network, whose members are working inside Lagawa camp in el-Daein, reported rapidly deteriorating conditions, warning of widespread hunger among the camp’s 7,000 residents. The organisation called on the international community to urgently provide food and medical aid, especially for children and pregnant women, to prevent further deaths.

The 27-month civil war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has crippled humanitarian networks, destroyed the economy, and broken down social services, creating one of the world’s worst hunger crises. El-Daein, the capital of East Darfur, is entirely controlled by the RSF and has been subjected to repeated attacks by armed groups, further isolating civilians and making aid delivery dangerous.

Famine was first identified last year in a camp in western Darfur and has since spread to other areas, leaving nearly a million people on the brink of starvation. The United Nations has also warned of rising cases of cholera in the region, with 1,500 suspected and confirmed infections reported in Tawila since June. The breakdown of water and sanitation systems combined with low vaccination rates has heightened the risk of a major outbreak, compounding the suffering of displaced populations.

Sudan’s civil war, now in its third year, erupted in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and RSF former allies who seized power together in a coup, spiraled into a nationwide conflict. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, more than 12 million have fled their homes, and millions are in desperate need of food and healthcare. Aid agencies warn that without immediate international intervention, the famine and disease outbreak could claim thousands more lives in the coming months, with children being the most vulnerable.