By Daniel Omwoyo
A wave of deadly attacks in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan, has resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 17 children and injury to 22 others during October, as the city marked 18 months under siege.
The new figures, reported by Save the Children, are based on analysis of data from the Sudan Doctors’ Network. The analysis found that in six separate attacks across the city during October, at least 115 civilians were killed and 102 injured, with children accounting for a significant proportion of the victims.
Abdiladif Mohamed, Save the Children’s Country Director in Sudan, condemned the killings and called on all warring parties to protect children and uphold international humanitarian law.
“No child should ever be killed or injured in conflict,” Mohamed stated. “The deliberate or reckless harm of children, or attacks on the places where they should be safe, is indefensible. All parties must protect children and uphold international humanitarian law—it is a duty owed to every child.”
He highlighted the widespread impact of the violence, noting that, “Schools, health facilities and displacement sites in El Fasher have been repeatedly affected in recent weeks, worsening an already critical situation.”
According to UNICEF, all 17 child deaths reported in October occurred during a single devastating attack on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre on October 11th. The victims included nine girls and eight boys, one of whom was a newborn baby, only seven days old.
Local reports indicate that most of the victims were tragically burned alive inside the metal caravans that served as makeshift homes, while others were trapped under collapsed buildings as fire tore through the site.
Earlier in the month, a separate deadly attack on a civilian neighborhood on October 6th killed 13 people and injured 19 others, including seven children and a pregnant woman.
Trapped Children Face Famine
UNICEF estimates that approximately 130,000 children remain trapped in El Fasher, enduring continuous violence, severe hunger, a lack of clean water, and critically limited medical supplies.
The crisis is exacerbated by heavy restrictions on movement in and out of the city, making it extremely difficult for humanitarian organizations to deliver essential aid. Mohamed warned that communities in parts of North Darfur are facing “famine-like conditions,” with rising child malnutrition due to the prolonged siege and restricted humanitarian access.
“Without large-scale food assistance and an end to the ongoing conflict, the hunger crisis in El Fasher may extend beyond October into the harvest and post-harvest period,” he cautioned, emphasizing the need for urgent humanitarian support.
Since the siege of El Fasher began in April 2024, Save the Children has expanded its operations in Tawila and Jabal Marra, reaching over 224,000 displaced people with health, nutrition, and emergency aid. The organization currently operates multiple health facilities and mobile clinics in these areas to support vulnerable communities.
