Over a third of children in Sudan’s El Fasher acutely malnourished, UN warns

July 7, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – More than a third of children under five in the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher are suffering from acute malnutrition, the United Nations said on Monday, describing an “appalling” humanitarian crisis as water and sanitation services collapse.

A recent U.N.-backed assessment found that 38% of young children in the North Darfur capital are acutely malnourished, including 11% with the most severe form of the condition, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

“Those who remain in El Fasher face extreme shortages of food and clean water,” Dujarric said, adding that most water infrastructure has been destroyed or is non-functional, sharply increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.

North Darfur has been an epicentre of clashes in Sudan’s conflict, which began more than two years ago. The U.N. humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, last week called for an urgent humanitarian pause for the city.

Fighting has driven massive displacement, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimating that 780,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and the nearby Zamzam camp since April 2023. Famine conditions were confirmed in Zamzam last August.

Elsewhere in the Darfur region, cholera is surging, with humanitarian partners reporting over 300 suspected cases and more than two dozen deaths in South Darfur state last week alone, Dujarric said.

A severe funding shortfall compounds the crisis. A $4.2 billion humanitarian response plan for Sudan in 2025 is just over 21% funded, with only $896 million received.

“Without additional and timely funding, the lives of millions of people in Sudan will continue to hang in a very precarious balance,” Dujarric said.

“We once again call on all parties to protect civilians and enable safe and sustained humanitarian access. We also urge donors to step up,” he said, calling for financial pledges to be turned into cash immediately.