**New York, November 20, 2023** — The escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached a grim stage in Darfur over the past seven months, where at least 5 million children are facing severe deprivation of their rights and protection risks due to ongoing conflict..
Since the outbreak of the war on April 15, over 3,130 cases of serious child rights violations have been reported in the country, with Darfur witnessing at least half of these cases. This is just the tip of the iceberg, with severe underreporting due to communication breakdowns and accessibility issues.
“Sudan—especially Darfur—has become a living hell for millions of children for over half a year, with thousands being targeted ethnically and facing killing, injury, abuse, and exploitation every day. This is unacceptable,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. “Children have suffered enough, and their parents and grandparents still bear the scars of past cycles of violence. We cannot allow this to happen again. All parties to the conflict must cease fighting and respect international law. We cannot afford for Sudan to become a forgotten crisis.”
The reported number of serious child rights violations in Darfur represents a 450% increase compared to the verified number for all of 2022. Among all reported cases of killing and mutilation across Sudan, 51% involve children in Darfur. Additionally, 48% of all reported cases of sexual violence in Sudan occur in Darfur. UNICEF continues to receive alarming reports about the recruitment of children.
In addition to the multiple levels of violence, over 1.2 million children under five in Darfur are suffering from acute malnutrition, with 218,000 of them experiencing severe acute malnutrition, the most deadly form. Without urgent treatment and life-saving services, they are at high risk of death.
The recent escalation in fighting has led to significant displacement in the region, with 1.7 million new displaced persons in Darfur, accounting for approximately 40% of the total displacement in the country. Nearly half of them are children.
Vital services in Darfur, including healthcare and protection, have collapsed due to access disruptions, looting, and financial shortages, exacerbated by attacks on frontline workers. Nurses, teachers, doctors, and social workers have not been paid for months, and critical infrastructure such as water supply networks and hospitals has been damaged or depleted.
Amid the ongoing conflict, beyond the direct destruction and loss of life, a generation of children in Darfur is at risk of losing their right to education, with almost all official schools in the region—totaling 4,000 schools—closed.
UNICEF, in collaboration with partners, is delivering life-saving supplies to Darfur, supporting frontline workers, and maintaining essential infrastructure to provide health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, education, and protection services for 2.2 million children and their families. However, much more needs to be done, and UNICEF calls on the international community to expedite funding for essential life-saving services, enhance resilience, and intensify advocacy for unobstructed access.
An immediate ceasefire is needed for humanitarian reasons. UNICEF reiterates its call for all parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian laws and human rights laws, halt serious violations of children’s rights, ensure unrestricted access, and remove bureaucratic obstacles that limit the speed and scope required to reach millions of the most vulnerable children and families across Sudan.
