3 million children in Sudan’s Al Jazirah State at risk as violence escalates
December 19, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – The escalation in fighting in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state has reportedly forced at least 150,000 children from their homes in barely a week, The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday.
The eruption of fighting in Al Jazirah state reportedly means that more than half of the states in Sudan, 10 out of 18, are currently experiencing active conflict.
An estimated 5.9 million people live in Al Jazirah State, with approximately half of the population being children, according to the UN children agency.
Since the escalation of the conflict in Sudan on April 15, nearly 500,000 people fled violence elsewhere in the country to Al Jazirah, with almost 90,000 of those seeking refuge in the capital, Wad Madani.
“Tens of thousands of vulnerable children in Al Jazirah state have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety as fighting erupts into areas that were previously considered relatively safe,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“This new wave of violence could leave children and families trapped between fighting lines or caught in the crossfire, with fatal consequences. With reports of renewed fighting elsewhere in the country, millions of children in Sudan are once again at grave risk,” she added.
The city of Wad Madani serves as the primary hub for many essential, lifesaving services in Al Jazirah state, including the only kidney dialysis centre in the state.
The city currently hosts hundreds of vulnerable children evacuated from other parts of the country, and has served as a hub for humanitarian operations since fighting broke out in April. Attacks on or disruption of these services would immediately endanger the lives of thousands of people, including children.
The escalation in fighting has led to a suspension of all humanitarian field missions within and from Al Jazirah State as of 15 December, further impacting children and families.
“Our colleagues in Sudan have heard bone-chilling stories of the harrowing journeys women and children were forced to make just to reach the safety of Madani city,” further stressed Russel, adding, “Now, even that fragile sense of security is shattered as those same children have once again been forced from their homes. No child should have to experience the horrors of war. Children, and the civilian infrastructure they rely on, must be protected.”
250,000-300,000 DISPLACED
Meanwhile, between 250,000 – 300,000 people have fled Aj Jazirah State following the clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) around Aj Jazirah State capital, Wad Madani.
Many people, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), fled on foot due to lack of transport means.
Fighting broke out in the morning of December 15 between the SAF and the RSF in the outskirts of Wad Medani, 136 km southeast of the national capital Khartoum.
Airstrikes were reported for several days after December 15 in the western, northern and eastern parts of Wad Medani and the vicinity of Alsharfa Barakat village north of the town. Shootings have been heard daily since December 15 in various areas in and outside Wad Medani. On December 18, RSF reportedly entered Wad Medani town and by December 19 took control of the city.
The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA), citing reports from various partners, said people displaced from Wad Medani have fled to Gedaref, Sennar and White Nile states. Many internally displaced persons reportedly arrived at the existing IDP gathering sites in and around the Gedaref and Sennar localities.
“The majority sought shelter within the host communities, and local authorities and partners in Gedaref estimate that more than 10,000 people have sought shelter with the host communities in Gedaref town,” OCHA noted.
It added, “It is estimated that thousands of people displaced from Wad Medani might have arrived in Sennar State enroute to Gedaref, Kassala and Blue Nile”.
There are reports, according to OCHA, of IDPs moving to White Nile State to cross over to neighbouring South Sudan if the current situation deteriorates.
After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale when fighting between SAF and RSF broke out initially in the capital, Khartoum on April 15, and quickly expanded to other areas across the war-torn country.
The hostilities have resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities, including water and healthcare, the collapse of banking and financial services, frequent interruptions to electricity supply and telecommunication services and widespread looting. Since the conflict broke out, humanitarian needs have increased and up to 25 million people require assistance in Sudan.
More than 6.8 million people have been forced to leave their homes for safety elsewhere. Also about 5.9 million people live in Al Jazirah, Sudan’s breadbasket,
(ST)