In Sudan's displacement camps, a child perishes every two hours, according to MSF report.
In Sudan's Zamzam camp, one of the largest and oldest displaced persons camps, the situation for children is dire, according to reports from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Doctors Without Borders. The camp is struggling with alarmingly high rates of acute malnutrition and a child mortality rate of at least one child dying every two hours[1].
The camp, which is the only fully operational outpatient health center in the region, is overwhelmed by the volume of patients and the severity of their clinical conditions[2]. MSF, the only operational health provider in Zamzam camp, has documented these troubling statistics despite facing severe shortages of medicines, fuel, water, and other supplies, as well as the halt in salaries for their staff members[1][2].
The ongoing war in Sudan, with violent attacks targeting the camp in 2025, has further worsened the health and living conditions in Zamzam[1]. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee confirmed Zamzam camp to be in famine conditions in August 2024[1].
The crisis is also affecting children across North Darfur, with over 640,000 children under five in the region at extreme risk[2]. Severe acute malnutrition has doubled in the past year across the region, making children more susceptible to fatal diseases like cholera, which has spread widely[2][3].
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped food distributions in Zamzam camp since May 2023, leaving families to eat only one meal a day[4]. This situation has been compounded by conflict, looting, and bureaucratic barriers, which have severely impeded humanitarian aid delivery[2][3].
UN officials warn of the risk of irreversible damage to a generation of children without immediate access to aid, justice, and accountability measures[4]. In summary, the situation in Zamzam camp requires urgent international attention and intervention to address the high rates of child mortality and malnutrition, severe shortages of food, water, and medical care, and the ongoing risk of disease outbreaks.
References:
[1] MSF Report, 2024 [2] UNICEF Report, 2023 [3] UN Report, 2024 [4] UN Official Statement, 2024
