Hunger kills children in Sudan’s Kalma camp as Darfur crisis worsens

NYALA – Nearly 600 children are suffering from acute malnutrition in Kalma camp, one of Sudan’s largest sites for internally displaced persons, as the humanitarian situation in Darfur deteriorates, a local civil society group said.

At least 19 children died in March in the camp due to hunger, thirst, and lack of basic medical care, according to Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees.

Regal described the situation in Kalma as “extremely dire,” warning that the camp’s residents are facing some of the harshest conditions since the conflict began. “The number of children suffering from malnutrition has reached 597,” he said. “We have already lost 19 children in just one month.”

Kalma camp, located near Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, has long been a refuge for people fleeing conflict. However, since the outbreak of full-scale war in April 2023 and the takeover of much of Darfur by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), humanitarian access has been severely restricted.

The RSF’s control over major routes and urban centers has made it nearly impossible for aid organizations to operate safely and effectively in the region.

With food supplies dwindling, healthcare facilities shut down, and water sources either damaged or unsafe, the lives of tens of thousands in the camp are at risk. “It’s not just bullets taking lives—starvation and neglect are also claiming the lives of displaced people,” Regal said.

The General Coordination, an independent non-governmental group, has called on the United Nations, its agencies, and regional and international humanitarian organizations to scale up emergency relief efforts. “We urge the international community to act now. These are forgotten camps filled with people who’ve lost everything,” Regal added.

The crisis in Kalma is part of a much broader emergency unfolding across Sudan. According to recent reports, famine-like conditions are already present in at least five regions, including other displacement camps such as Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Salam, as well as parts of the Western Nuba Mountains.

Five additional locations in North Darfur are expected to fall into famine soon, with 17 more areas classified as being at high risk.

In January 2025, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned the U.N. Security Council about Sudan’s rapidly worsening food crisis. They said the country is in the grip of a “humanitarian emergency of staggering proportions,” with food insecurity reaching its worst levels in Sudan’s modern history.

Humanitarian actors continue to face immense challenges in reaching affected populations, particularly in areas controlled by armed groups. Without a ceasefire or humanitarian corridors, aid agencies fear the death toll from hunger and disease could rise sharply in the coming months.

As children continue to die in Kalma camp and other forgotten corners of Sudan, local advocates are pleading for urgent international attention before the crisis claims even more lives.