Sudan faces looming famine, millions of children at risk of malnutrition – UN

January 10, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – Sudan is facing a growing risk of widespread famine as a dire humanitarian crisis, fueled by conflict, has left an estimated 3.2 million children under five acutely malnourished, a UN official said on Wednesday.

UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, has sounded the alarm that over 700,000 children are likely suffering from the most severe and life-threatening form of malnutrition this year, according to Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Sudan is grappling with the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with five million children forced from their homes by fighting, he told reporters at the daily press briefing.

“Mothers often walk for days, sometimes up to 20 days, to reach a camp, looking for safety, looking for food, and just looking for basic shelter,” Dujarric said, highlighting the perilous journeys undertaken by families fleeing the violence.

Families and communities caught in hard-to-reach areas bear the brunt of the conflict, with limited access to food and basic services increasing the risk of destitution and death, he said.

Famine is already present in Zamzam, Al Salam, and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced people, as well as in the western Nuba Mountains, according to the UN.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) committee has projected that famine could spread to five additional regions by mid-2024, with 17 other areas also at risk without immediate intervention.

UNICEF and its partners are providing clean water, health services, and treatment for acute malnutrition, but Dujarric stressed that unimpeded access is crucial for aid delivery.

The UN is urging governments to prioritize funding for humanitarian aid to Sudan, ensure safe passage for relief efforts, and press warring parties to end the fighting.

“We continue to urge governments to prioritize funding, ensure safe relief routes, and press all parties involved to just stop fighting,” Dujarric said.