Time Is Running Out: Children’s Lives Hang in the Balance Amid El Fasher Crisis
Nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and the surrounding areas since 26 October 2025
With the escalating violence in El Fasher, another major influx into East and South Darfur continues and is intensifying, further worsening the already critical situation.
Sudan has become one of the most significant humanitarian crises, with 14 million people displaced.
More than 5,000 children have arrived in East Darfur and South Darfur, approximately 200 kilometers from El Fasher.
Port Sudan, Sudan - November 10, 2025 – Without urgent life-saving assistance, children arriving in East and South Darfur who have fled the conflict in El Fasher are at risk of dying from hunger and severe malnutrition, World Vision has warned.
World Vision teams have registered over 7,000 people fleeing the escalating conflict in El Fasher, including 5,000 children, with more still arriving. These families are coming in a dire condition, having escaped conflict and siege only to face nearly no food, water, or life-saving aid. Their suffering, worsened by the long and difficult journey, is clear and urgent.
"What we are witnessing is an absolute tragedy," said Inos Mugabe, Operations Director for World Vision Sudan. "These children and their families escaped the siege, and they need immediate support. They look weary and severely malnourished. Their bodies are failing, and without urgent, large-scale intervention—right now—we will lose them. We are receiving the most vulnerable people imaginable, but the existing resources are utterly non-existent to sustain them. The world must understand the gravity of this situation and act before it is too late."
The rapid influx has placed immense strain on frontline teams and also puts pressure on World Vision's already limited resources to serve the communities in Darfur. However, World Vision is immediately providing initial psychosocial support (PSS) to help children cope with the trauma, but the critical lack of basic supplies is a life-threatening emergency. World Vision also supported the arrivals with clean drinking water, buckets, and plastic sheets for shelter.
Bahareldin El Haj, Child Protection Coordinator for World Vision Sudan, emphasised the severe trauma and vulnerability faced by the children. "More than 5000 children have arrived here, stripped of their homes, safety, and basic needs. Beyond physical hunger and thirst, their psychological wounds run deep. They have witnessed unimaginable horrors. They are unaccompanied or separated from family members, which raises their risk of abuse and exploitation. Our child protection programs are currently overwhelmed by the scale of need."
The children look pale and show signs of severe malnutrition," said Bahareldin. "We are holding the hands of children who are severely malnourished and dehydrated and conducting urgent psychosocial support sessions to give them a moment of normalcy and safety, but the needs are overwhelming. We are unable to provide the immediate support needed to save the children’s lives now. Children urgently need therapeutic feeding, emergency food supplies, clean drinking water, and dedicated psychosocial support.”
Aisha Mohammed travelled with her children from El Fasher on a donkey until they reached Al Nakheel camp in East Darfur. The camp is already housing more than 22,500 internally displaced people, worsening the situation.
“I left El Fasher on a donkey and couldn't leave my children behind. It was hard. We had to leave behind several of our relatives,” said Aisha. “We need food and water so my children can survive.”
World Vision Sudan urges all international actors to swiftly address critical funding gaps and advocate for unrestricted humanitarian access to save the lives of children fleeing the crisis in El Fasher. These children are now arriving in East and South Darfur after a long journey. Every hour of delay increases the risk of death for more children.
ENDS.
For further information or to organise an interview, please contact:
Grace Mavhezha
Communication, Advocacy and External Engagement Manager
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.