Acute malnutrition has claimed the lives of more than 20 children within a month in central Sudan, as fighting rages in Kordofan region.
The battles have intensified between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Kordofan region as the paramilitary group tries to capture more territory from Sudan’s army after the fall of El-Fasher in Darfur.
Malnutrition in Kordofan
Sudan Doctors Network said on Friday that its field teams documented the deaths of 23 children in the period between October 20 and November 20 in Dilling and Kadugli cities in South Kordofan state.
The group attributed the deaths to “severe acute malnutrition and shortages of essential supplies.” It added that the blockade “prevents the entry of food and medicine and puts the lives of thousands of civilians at risk.”
Sudan Doctors Network is a professional body of doctors throughout Sudan that tracks the conflict, shares information, and provides community services.
Human Tragedy
In its statement, the group warned of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Kordofan, which threatens to cause a widespread health catastrophe. “These deaths represent a serious alarm bell, highlighting the scale of the worsening humanitarian tragedy in the state,” it said.
The group also voiced strong condemnation of the “ongoing blockade, which has led to the collapse of health services and hindered the delivery of aid, and considers it a clear violation of international humanitarian law and of children’s rights to survival and protection.”
Moreover, it called on the UN and regional and international humanitarian organizations to “take urgent action to open safe corridors and provide immediate relief without delay.”
Situation in South Kordofan
The RSF has besieged Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan province, for months, trapping tens of thousands of people inside the town without food, medicine or relief supplies. Earlier in November, the International Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Kadugli.
Meanwhile, the IPC estimated that Dilling has experienced similar conditions as Kadugli, but the monitor didn’t declare famine there due to lack of data. “Uncertainty surrounding the evolution of conflict heightens the risk of Famine, particularly in 20 areas expected to receive displaced populations across North, South, and East Darfur, as well as West and South Kordofan,” the IPC said in its report.
Fierce Battles
Battles over the Kordofan region, which includes North, South, East and West Kordofan, have intensified earlier this year after the SAF expelled the RSF from the capital, Khartoum. Following the fall of El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur state, to the RSF in October, the paramilitary force shifted its focus to Kordofan, which serves as a strategic corridor that links Khartoum and central Sudan to Darfur.
In the light of this, the RSF is pushing to seize Al-Obeid, a strategic city that hosts a key army airbase and acts as a buffer to the capital. It is also engaging in fierce battles with the SAF to capture the town of Babnusa, the army’s last stronghold in West Kordofan.
The war in Sudan, which broke out in April 2023, has brought the country closer to effective partition, as the SAF controls the center, north and east, while the RSF holds the entire Darfur region and parts of Kordofan, with each side declaring a government.
It has also killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 12 million inside Sudan and to neighboring countries, and pushed parts of the country into famine amid cholera outbreaks.
Peace Efforts in Sudan
At the request of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, the US President, Donald Trump, said that the US would start working to bring the war in Sudan to an end, in a major policy shift in Washington’s position on the conflict.
“His Majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan. It was not on my charts to be involved in that. I thought it was just crazy and out of control. But I just see how it is important to you and to a lot of your friends in the room, Sudan. And we’re going to start working on Sudan,” Trump announced during the Saudi-US Investment Forum.
Later, Trump said that the US “will work with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to get these atrocities to end, while at the same time stabilizing Sudan.”
In response to Trump’s announcement, the Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and SAF’s Commander-in-Chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, thanked the Saudi Crown Prince and the US President for their efforts.
Shortly after, Sudan‘s Sovereign Council, led by Al-Burhan, expressed readiness to seriously engage with Riyadh and Washington to realize the peace that Sudanese people aspire to.
Similarly, the RSF welcomed Trump’s announcement, saying it responded “fully and seriously” to mediation initiatives.
However, Al-Burhan vowed on Friday to continue fighting until the complete eradication of the RSF. “The (Sudanese) Armed Forces and their supporting forces are determined to eliminate the rebellious militia and completely eradicate it,” he said during a visit to Al-Qutaynah city in White Nile State.
UAE Calls for Ceasefire
On Saturday, the UAE called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. The diplomatic adviser to the Emirati President, Anwar Gargash, said that “Sudan’s tragic civil war must come to an immediate end,” voicing concern over the country’s unity and the re-emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood organization.
“The path forward is clear: an immediate ceasefire, accountability for atrocities by both parties, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a credible transition to an independent civilian government,” he posted on X.
The SAF-aligned government, UN experts and human rights groups have repeatedly accused the UAE of supplying the RSF with military support and mercenaries. However, Abu Dhabi has consistently rejected claims of providing support to the RSF, denying any involvement in the conflict.
