More than 5,500 children have been newly displaced by fighting over the strategic Sudanese city of el-Obeid, and thousands more are at risk, Save the Children has warned.
As families arrive in displacement sites and local communities, they face increasingly difficult living conditions, the international charity said in a statement. Many are struggling to access adequate shelter, clean water, healthcare and education, while overcrowding places additional pressure on already limited resources.
El-Obeid, home to over half a million people, served as a key humanitarian lifeline for northwestern Sudan. It has become the latest focus of the civil war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group that controls the Darfur region.
The city, where the government's 5th Infantry Division is based, has been besieged by the RSF for months and targeted by intensifying drone attacks that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure, resulting in severe fuel and water shortages.
Emad, a civilian living in el-Obeid with his family, told Save the Children that throughout June the situation was extremely challenging, with drones raining heavily in and around the city. About 11 fuel stations were hit, along with fuel tankers and water tankers.
Siege-like conditions and overcrowding from internal displacement have exacerbated a seasonal cholera outbreak, with 300 cases confirmed by Sudan's State Ministry of Health, the charity said.
Save the Children is particularly concerned about the growing psychological toll on children, many of whom have witnessed violence, lost loved ones, or been forced to flee multiple times in the past three years. Across Sudan, children under 18 make up about 55% of the displaced population.
For children, displacement is far more than the loss of a home, said Francesco Lanino, deputy country director for Save the Children in Sudan. It often means losing access to school, healthcare, clean water and the support networks that help them feel safe and protected.
In October, when RSF fighters seized control of the Darfur capital, el-Fasher, after an 18-month siege, rights groups documented mass killings and sexual violence against civilians, including children. The UN and rights groups warned that el-Obeid could soon suffer the same fate.
The UN Human Rights Council passed a motion on Monday condemning the RSF's escalating attacks on el-Obeid. Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023 and is now in its fourth year, killing thousands and forcing 4.4 million people to flee to neighboring countries.
Source: www.aljazeera.com