UNICEF Reports Over 3 Million Children at Risk of Acute Malnutrition in Sudan
Protracted conflict exacerbates humanitarian crisis as malnutrition rates soar amid the ongoing Sudanese war.
In a harrowing update from the heart of Sudan, UNICEF has announced that an estimated 3.2 million children under the age of five are facing the threat of acute malnutrition this year.
This shocking figure underscores the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, a nation ravaged by protracted conflict and mass displacement.
Eva Hinds, Head of Advocacy and Communication for UNICEF Sudan, disclosed to the AFP that approximately 772,000 of these children are anticipated to endure severe acute malnutrition.
This alarming increase comes amid a backdrop of ongoing violence and a continuing humanitarian crisis.
The number of severely malnourished children has risen from an estimated 730,000 in 2024 to over 770,000 in 2025.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-supported body, had earlier released a report indicating that famine is already affecting five regions within Sudan.
The report went on to caution that without immediate and unhindered humanitarian aid, famine could spread to five additional areas in the conflict-stricken Darfur region by May. A total of 17 areas in western and central Sudan also remain at high risk.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached catastrophic levels as the country endures its 20th month of conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This brutal conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has forcibly displaced 12 million people, marking it as one of the most severe displacement crises globally.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and the dire need for interventions, Sudan’s government, which is aligned with the army, has vehemently denied the findings of the IPC.
Meanwhile, aid workers on the ground face immense challenges, such as bureaucratic obstacles and the persistent risk of violence, which impede the delivery of much-needed relief.
In October last year, a United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed panel accused both conflicting parties of employing 'starvation tactics,' further intensifying international concern over the situation in Sudan.
Adding to the crisis, the United States government recently determined that the RSF had engaged in acts of genocide within the country and, consequently, imposed sanctions on the leadership of the paramilitary group.
The IPC warns that more than 24.6 million people, approximately half of Sudan’s population, are grappling with high levels of acute food insecurity.
Only a lasting ceasefire, it posits, can halt the spread of famine.
Until peace prevails, the lives of millions of Sudanese children remain precariously in the balance, demanding an urgent and coordinated global response.
This shocking figure underscores the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, a nation ravaged by protracted conflict and mass displacement.
Eva Hinds, Head of Advocacy and Communication for UNICEF Sudan, disclosed to the AFP that approximately 772,000 of these children are anticipated to endure severe acute malnutrition.
This alarming increase comes amid a backdrop of ongoing violence and a continuing humanitarian crisis.
The number of severely malnourished children has risen from an estimated 730,000 in 2024 to over 770,000 in 2025.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-supported body, had earlier released a report indicating that famine is already affecting five regions within Sudan.
The report went on to caution that without immediate and unhindered humanitarian aid, famine could spread to five additional areas in the conflict-stricken Darfur region by May. A total of 17 areas in western and central Sudan also remain at high risk.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached catastrophic levels as the country endures its 20th month of conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This brutal conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has forcibly displaced 12 million people, marking it as one of the most severe displacement crises globally.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and the dire need for interventions, Sudan’s government, which is aligned with the army, has vehemently denied the findings of the IPC.
Meanwhile, aid workers on the ground face immense challenges, such as bureaucratic obstacles and the persistent risk of violence, which impede the delivery of much-needed relief.
In October last year, a United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed panel accused both conflicting parties of employing 'starvation tactics,' further intensifying international concern over the situation in Sudan.
Adding to the crisis, the United States government recently determined that the RSF had engaged in acts of genocide within the country and, consequently, imposed sanctions on the leadership of the paramilitary group.
The IPC warns that more than 24.6 million people, approximately half of Sudan’s population, are grappling with high levels of acute food insecurity.
Only a lasting ceasefire, it posits, can halt the spread of famine.
Until peace prevails, the lives of millions of Sudanese children remain precariously in the balance, demanding an urgent and coordinated global response.
