Sudan conflict: children under increasing threat

One in every two children in Sudan, or 13.6 million children, is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on April 15, 1.5 million children have been displaced, the UN report said. 

UNICEF Sudan says it has reached over 3 million women and children with health supplies and 1.4 million people with safe drinking water. 

However, with no end to the conflict in sight, the organisation warns that the humanitarian crisis is set to worsen, saying that the "critical needs are rapidly multiplying". 

Continued fighting

On Saturday, fighting erupted between the army and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N) in Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan state. 

The SPLM-N has besieged the city and taken control of five of the city's six military bases. 

Elsewhere, the armed conflict that began in the southern suburbs of Khartoum has now spread to all of Khartoum and other states. 

"Children's crisis"

The ongoing conflict is creating a "deepening children's crisis" says UNICEF. Children are now at increased risk of disease, with basic services such as immunisation not fully functioning. 

The report says there have been outbreaks of measles and an increase in mortality rates associated with acute malnutrition in Darfur and White Nile. 

Across the country, 24.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Since the start of the conflict, there have been over 3,000 deaths and 6,000 injuries. Of those, over 330 children have been killed and 1,900 injured, according to UNICEF.