UNHCR says 1,200 refugee children killed in ongoing clashes between Army, rival RSF

No fewer than 1,200 refugee children have been killed in the ongoing war between the Sudanese Army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF, adding to the already rising number of casualties in the country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR).

In the White Nile state, “more than 1,200 refugee children under 5 have died in nine camps in the period between 15 May and 14 September, due to a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition,” UNHCR said in a statement.

The agency added that “Over 3,100 suspected cases were also reported in the same period and more than 500 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in other parts of the country along with outbreaks of dengue and malaria.”

Sudan has been thrown into chaos since April after a power tussle fight snowballed into a full scale war between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo of the RSF.

More than 5.25 million people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting in the country according to the United Nations.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said. “dozens of children are dying every day – a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention.”

The UN agency however warned of a lack of medical personnel, life-saving drugs, and essential equipment to combat take control of outbreaks of diseases in war-torn Sudan.

Since April, more than 3,000 civilians have been killed and others have been injured in violent confrontations in Sudan.

Several cease-fire agreements arranged by Saudi and US mediators have failed to bring the carnage to a stop.