CAIRO (AP) — El-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, is experiencing a "devastating tragedy" as approximately 260,000 residents, half of whom are children, remain trapped due to a siege imposed by a paramilitary group, the United Nations reported on Wednesday. The city has been at the center of intense fighting for over a year between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), at least 600,000 individuals have been displaced from El-Fasher and its surrounding camps in recent months. However, within the city, around 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, are living in "desperate conditions" after being cut off from humanitarian aid for more than 16 months. UNICEF estimates that around 6,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and are at high risk of death.
The RSF has effectively besieged El-Fasher, severing supply lines and cutting off access to essential goods and services, UNICEF stated. The situation has turned El-Fasher into "an epicenter of child suffering," where malnutrition, disease, and violence are claimed to be taking young lives daily. Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, emphasized that the humanitarian crisis is dire, stating, "We are witnessing a devastating tragedy — children in El-Fasher are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked."
Russell further highlighted that blocking humanitarian access constitutes a grave violation of children's rights, stressing that "the lives of children are hanging in the balance." UNICEF is urging the Sudanese government and all involved parties to ensure "sustained, unimpeded, and safe access" to reach children throughout Sudan. The agency is also advocating for an immediate and sustained humanitarian pause in El-Fasher and other conflict-affected areas to allow for the delivery of food, medicines, water, and other essential supplies.
The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, following a buildup of tensions between the military and the RSF that culminated in widespread violence in the capital, Khartoum, and across the nation. El-Fasher remains the military's last stronghold in the vast Darfur region, with the RSF having attempted to take control of the city since April 2024. The ongoing conflict has led to a bombing campaign that has resulted in the deaths or injuries of over 1,000 children, according to UNICEF.
The conflict has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 14 million people and causing parts of the country to teeter on the brink of famine. This ongoing violence has also led to disease outbreaks and an estimated death toll in the tens of thousands. Various atrocities, including mass killings and sexual violence, are currently being investigated as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
