Children die of starvation in Darfur as Cholera epidemic spreads

 July 29, 2025 (EL DAEIN, East Darfur) – Thirteen children have died from starvation in a displacement camp in Sudan’s East Darfur state, doctors said on Tuesday, highlighting a spiralling humanitarian crisis as a separate cholera epidemic sweeps through other parts of the war-torn region.

The deaths occurred in the Lagawa camp in El Daein, a city in a state entirely controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement. The ongoing conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has crippled humanitarian aid delivery, leaving displaced populations vulnerable to famine and disease.

According to the doctors’ network, the Lagawa camp hosts more than 7,000 displaced people, mostly women and children, who lack essential aid. The statement expressed deep concern over “deteriorating humanitarian conditions,” noting that in addition to severe food shortages, camp residents face repeated attacks by armed groups that threaten their safety.

The network called for immediate international action to provide food and healthcare, and to secure the camp from attacks, ensuring that aid can reach those in need.

Separately, a cholera outbreak is spreading at a “frightening” rate through displacement camps in South, North, and Central Darfur, according to Adam Ragal, a spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees.

Ragal said the situation was particularly severe in the Tawila locality of North Darfur, where infection rates have climbed to 2,145 cases, including 40 deaths. He noted a daily infection rate of between 100 and 208 new cases. In the Golo area of Central Darfur, at least 23 cases and seven deaths have been recorded.

The Tawila locality now shelters over 560,000 people, most of whom fled recent fighting in the North Darfur capital, El Fasher. They are living in dire conditions with limited food, water, and health services. The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), which controls parts of the region, has declared its territories humanitarian disaster zones.