Malnutrition and Cholera Ravage Besieged El Fasher, UN Warns

A mother walks with her childern to a shelter at an IDP camp near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur (UN file photo)

August 27, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – An estimated 260,000 civilians are trapped in the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher, where malnutrition and disease are claiming young lives daily, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The North Darfur capital has been under siege for more than 500 days and cut off from aid for over 16 months, turning it into an “epicentre of suffering” for children, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

Acute malnutrition is spreading rapidly, with recent reports indicating that at least 63 people, mostly women and children, died from the condition in a single week. More than 10,000 children have been treated for severe acute malnutrition since January, but the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the depletion of supplies has forced a suspension of services.

A cholera outbreak is compounding the crisis, with more than 7,000 cases reported in North Darfur and another 3,000 in Blue Nile state. The UN reported that new cases are emerging in remote communities with limited access to healthcare.

Aid delivery is hampered by insecurity, bureaucratic hurdles, severe underfunding, and heavy rains that have made key roads impassable, disrupting the delivery of medical supplies.

The UN called on all parties to the conflict to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and guarantee safe and unhindered access for aid workers.