Fighting in Sudan’s North Darfur Claims Lives of 13 Children, UNICEF Reports

UNICEF has confirmed the tragic deaths of at least 13 children in ongoing violence in North Darfur, Sudan. The organization calls for immediate action to protect vulnerable children in conflict zones.

According to UNICEF, clashes between the Sudanese military and a rival paramilitary group in North Darfur, Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 13 children and injuries to four others.

In a statement released on Sunday, the U.N. agency reported that the children ranged in age from 6 to 17 years old.

According to the local Daily Sudan Post, on Friday, the Sudanese army conducted airstrikes targeting a market in Al Kuma, a town situated approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

According to the Sudan Tribune news portal and the Central Observatory for Human Rights, airstrikes that also targeted the city of Mellit resulted in at least 45 deaths and injured numerous others.

Hamrat al-Sheikh in North Kordofan was also hit, as reported by Mohammed H. al-Ta’ishi, a former member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council. He stated on Saturday that the strikes were directed at areas which “haven’t experienced any form of confrontation since the war began.”

READ ALSO: UN Security Council Urges Immediate End to Violence in Sudan

In April 2023, conflict erupted in Khartoum between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, subsequently spreading throughout the nation. The region of Darfur has experienced especially intense battles.

“These attacks on children are intolerable. Although they have no part in wars or civil conflicts, it is the children who endure the greatest suffering as Sudan’s conflict persists,” stated Sheldon Yett, a UNICEF representative to Sudan.

“Yett added that children should be safe wherever they are—at home, in their neighborhoods, and on the streets.”

According to U.N. estimates, 20,000 individuals have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured since the conflict started. Additionally, the war has forced over 10 million people from their homes, with 2.4 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries and beyond.