Thirteen children died from malnutrition-related complications last month in a displacement camp in Sudan’s East Darfur, stressing the growing toll of a civil war that has escalated into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to a report released Tuesday by the Sudan Doctors Network.
The children were living in Lagawa camp, home to over 7,000 displaced people, primarily women and children. Medical professionals in the country say the camp is suffering from a critical shortage of food, and they are calling on international aid groups to intervene swiftly to prevent further loss of life.
“This is a moment of truth; children’s lives depend on whether the world chooses to act or look away,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s Representative for Sudan in an AP report.
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Sudan has been engulfed in violent conflict since April 2023, when a long-simmering power struggle between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted in Khartoum and spread rapidly across the country.
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With famine already confirmed in parts of Darfur and the southern Kordofan region, aid organizations have been pleading with both sides of the conflict to allow critical humanitarian access. But many routes remain blocked by violence and political obstruction.
Earlier this month, UNICEF reported a staggering 46% increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition among children in Darfur between January and May, compared to the same period last year. In North Darfur alone, more than 40,000 children were admitted for treatment, double the number from 2024.
The war has devastated Sudan’s healthcare infrastructure, fueling outbreaks of cholera, measles, and malaria, and severely affecting vulnerable communities.
The Sudan Doctors Network, which compiled the latest mortality figures, said the situation in Lagawa camp is dire, and warned that malnutrition rates are continuing to climb.
“This is not an isolated incident,” the group emphasized, urging the global community to ramp up support to prevent even greater loss of life.
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Since the conflict began, thousands have been killed and more than 13 million people displaced, including four million who have fled across borders into neighboring countries. According to the U.N. and rights groups, the war has been marred by atrocities such as mass sexual violence and ethnically targeted killings, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
