UNICEF Warns of ‘Horrible’ Impact of Sudan’s Civil War on 16 Million Children

The head of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, has revealed on March 13 that 16 million children in Sudan are suffering immensely due to the ongoing civil war, facing daily threats of violence, starvation, disease, and sexual assault.

Speaking at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Russell described how the conflict is occurring right at the doorsteps of children’s homes, schools, and hospitals across Sudan’s cities, towns, and villages. She highlighted the particular vulnerability of children under five, with over 1.3 million living in famine hotspots and another 3 million at risk of diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dengue, as the country’s health system continues to collapse.

Russell also reported a disturbing rise in sexual violence, with 221 cases of rape against children in nine of Sudan’s 18 states last year, two-thirds of which were girls. In 16 of the cases, the children were under five years old, including four babies under the age of one. While calling for an end to the hostilities, she emphasised that the trauma experienced by these children would not end with the signing of a ceasefire or peace agreement. The scars they carry will require ongoing care and support to heal, she stated, underscoring the long-term impact on their lives.

Christopher Lockyear, the head of Doctors Without Borders, corroborated these harrowing accounts, revealing that his teams had treated 385 survivors of sexual violence last year, many of whom were under the age of five. He described the situation in Sudan as “catastrophic” and lamented that calls for an end to the war have gone unanswered, with civilians continuing to endure violence, displacement, and deprivation. Both Russell and Lockyear urged the U.N. Security Council to press the warring factions to allow unimpeded aid access, as UNICEF seeks $1 billion to provide critical support to millions of children in the country.

Aid officials have also decried the ongoing war as creating the “largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis” in the world.

More than 30 million people, nearly two-thirds of the population, are expected to require humanitarian aid this year. The warring parties are accused of blocking aid deliveries, exacerbating the suffering of civilians, and hindering relief efforts. Both the RSF and the SAF have denied these accusations, with the RSF attributing the actions to rogue elements and pledging to investigate, while Sudan’s U.N. ambassador defended the Government’s commitment to civilian protection.

The crisis has led to severe food shortages, with famine affecting at least five locations in Sudan.