In deadly October, nearly one in five civilians killed in El Fasher were children

 

At least 17 children were killed and a further 22 injured in a particularly violent October in El Fasher, Sudan, said Save the Children, as the city marks 18 months of siege.

Save the Children analysed casualty reports from the Sudan Doctor’s Network – a group of medical professionals tracking the war –in October and found at least 115 civilians were killed and a further 102 injured in six attacks on the besieged town. Among these casualties were 17 children killed, and 22 children injured [1].

All the reported child deaths took place in a series of attacks on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre in El Fasher on 11 October, when nine girls and eight boys, including a newborn just seven days old, were killed, according to UNICEF.  Most of the victims were burned alive inside metal caravans used as makeshift homes, while others remained trapped beneath collapsed structures as fires raged through the site, according to local reports.

Seven of the child injuries took place in a deadly attack on a civilian neighbourhood on 6 October, in which 13 people were killed and 19 others injured. A pregnant woman was also amongst the casualties [1].  

About 130,000 children remain trapped in El Fasher, according to UNICEF [2], with the city marking 18 months of siege this October. Children and families are living in desperate conditions, marked by repeated violent attacks, severe hunger, a lack of clean water, and limited medicines.  

The volatile security situation is forcing many—especially women, children, and youth—to remain in El Fasher, despite ongoing attacks and limited access to humanitarian aid. Movement in and out of the city is extremely restricted, further complicating response efforts and deepening the humanitarian crisis.  

Abdiladif Mohamed, Save the Children’s Country Director in Sudan, said:

“No child should ever be killed or injured in conflict. 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.

“Schools, health facilities and displacement sites in El Fasher have been repeatedly affected in recent weeks, worsening an already critical situation. Communities in parts of North Darfur are also facing famine-like conditions, with widespread hunger and rising levels of child malnutrition due to prolonged siege and restricted humanitarian access.

“Save the Children will continue to stand with the children of Sudan. There is an urgent need to sustain and scale up health and nutrition services in Tawila to support displaced children and communities, and reinforce the cholera outbreak response. 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.”

Since the siege of El Fasher began in April 2024, Save the Children has significantly scaled up its humanitarian response across Tawila and Jabal Marra in Central and North Darfur. We are now reaching over 224,000 internally displaced people fleeing violence and insecurity. Our response includes providing support for newly arrived families, host communities, and conflict-affected populations.  

In Tawila and across North Darfur, our operations are anchored in four health facilities and a growing mobile health platform, while in Jabal Marra, we operate seven health facilities and three mobile clinics.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.