UNICEF delivers lifesaving supplies across conflict lines to reach besieged children in North Darfur

KHARTOUM, 6 May 2026 – UNICEF delivered lifesaving health, nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation supplies to Um Baru in North Darfur yesterday, crossing multiple conflict lines to reach children and families cut off by ongoing violence. An estimated 15,160 people are expected to benefit from the supplies.

The situation in North Darfur is among the most severe in Sudan. Um Baru, along with Kernoi and At Tina, is facing siege-like conditions due to intensified fighting. Ongoing violence and insecurity are exposing children to grave protection risks, including killing and injury, family separation, and heightened risks of exploitation and abuse. With limited or no access to essential services, children are bearing the brunt of the crisis. They face acute shortages of safe drinking water, healthcare, and nutrition, alongside record levels of malnutrition. Driven by food insecurity, displacement, and the collapse of basic services, the Global Acute Malnutrition rate* in Um Baru has reached 52.9 per cent, the highest recorded rate in Sudan and among the highest in the world.

“Reaching children in Um Baru required crossing frontlines at a time when access is extremely limited,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. “This delivery shows that, even in the most challenging conditions, we can and must find ways to reach children in need. The supplies delivered will help save lives, but they are only a fraction of what is needed. Sustained, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access is essential to prevent further loss of life.”

Despite the challenges, UNICEF and partners continue to stay and deliver, providing essential services across Darfur. This includes treating children for severe acute malnutrition, supporting mobile health services, delivering clean water, and establishing safe spaces and protection services for children affected by violence. However, humanitarian operations remain severely constrained by insecurity, administrative impediments, and significant funding gaps.

The delivery to Um Baru demonstrates what is possible when access is secured. UNICEF continues to call on all parties to ensure safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, so that children in hard‑to‑reach areas can receive the lifesaving assistance they urgently need.

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Notes to editors

* The Global Acute Malnutrition rate is the percentage of children under five in a population who are acutely malnourished, meaning they are too thin for their height or have nutritional oedema, indicating the severity of a nutrition crisis.

Across Sudan, an estimated 4.2 million cases of acute malnutrition are expected in 2026, including more than 825,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition.