UNICEF: 5 million children in Darfur face humanitarian catastrophe

^{The organization issued an urgent alert of a type used only in extreme cases (UNICEF).}

April 29, 2026 (PEN) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned of a "catastrophic" situation threatening nearly 5 million children in the Darfur region, as the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, stressing that children are facing unprecedented levels of deprivation, hunger and violence.

On Tuesday, the organization issued an urgent “child alert,” a rare procedure used only in extreme cases, in the first such warning regarding Darfur in nearly two decades.

UNICEF's representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yate, said that children have reached a "critical point" and are bearing the brunt of the conflict, as they are being killed and maimed, and are suffering from hunger, disease and psychological trauma, amid widespread destruction of homes and schools.

Despite the escalating crisis, the organization noted that the situation in Darfur has not received sufficient international attention, compared to the conflict that erupted 20 years ago, pointing out that the humanitarian response plan for Sudan has only been 16% funded this year.

UNICEF documented the killing of 160 children and the injury of 85 others during the first three months of 2026, a significant increase compared to the same period last year.

She indicated that the besieged city of El Fasher is the most affected, with at least 1,300 children killed or maimed since April 2024, along with reports of widespread sexual violence, kidnappings, and forced recruitment.

Acute malnutrition reached famine levels in two areas of North Darfur during February, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

The Darfur region is a major hotspot of violence in the ongoing war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has witnessed widespread abuses, including ethnically based killings, according to UNICEF.