The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to deepen as medics in the war-torn capital struggle to treat malnourished children through severe aid shortages.
At Alban Jadeed Hospital in Bahri, gaunt mothers lie beside frail toddlers, their sunken eyes reflecting the dire reality of a nation ravaged by nearly two years of conflict. Medical workers, overwhelmed and under-supplied, are forced to ration therapeutic milk and essential treatments for malnourished children.
The war, which erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has plunged the country into what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Currently, half of Sudan’s 50 million people face acute hunger, with famine confirmed in at least five areas, particularly in North Darfur State. However, medics warn that the situation could be even worse due to the difficulty of gathering accurate data in war zones.
In Sudan’s greater capital—comprising Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri—both warring factions have restricted deliveries of aid and commercial supplies, causing the cost of food and medicine to skyrocket beyond the reach of most families.
At Alban Jadeed Hospital, over 14,000 children under five years old suffered from severe acute malnutrition in 2023, while another 12,000 were diagnosed with milder cases, according to Dr. Azza Babiker, head of the hospital’s therapeutic nutrition department. Only 600 children tested were of normal weight.
Efforts to supply the hospital with therapeutic formula milk through UNICEF and medical aid organization MSF have been repeatedly disrupted. Babiker revealed that RSF soldiers stole the hospital’s medical supplies twice.
Despite mounting evidence, both the Sudanese army and the RSF deny blocking humanitarian aid.
