A Growing Humanitarian Emergency: Children at Risk in Gaza and Sudan

 A Growing Humanitarian Emergency: Children at Risk in Gaza and Sudan

By Tahir Ali Shah

The world stands on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Conflict-driven famine is now one of the biggest threats to life, especially for children in places like Gaza and Sudan. These crises are not just about hunger—they are about survival, dignity, and whether children will have a chance to live beyond tomorrow.

Gaza: A Famine Declared

For the first time in Gaza’s history, famine has been formally declared. The situation has spiraled beyond emergency levels. Half a million people are now facing catastrophic hunger, half of them children. By September 2025, this number is expected to rise even higher, with hundreds of thousands of children under five at direct risk of acute malnutrition.

The stories emerging from Gaza are heartbreaking. Mothers are skipping meals so their children can eat. Young children like Shamm, a two-year-old weighing only 4 kilograms, had to be airlifted to Italy for treatment. Thousands of others like her remain trapped, too weak even to cry. Another child, eight-year-old Jana, weighs only nine kilograms and is slowly fading, waiting for a medical evacuation that may never come.

Behind these stories lies a grim reality: food prices in Gaza have skyrocketed, aid trucks are barely getting through, and hospitals are running out of therapeutic supplies. Hunger has now joined bombs as a weapon of war.

Sudan: Hunger and War Collide

While the world’s eyes are often on Gaza, Sudan is quietly collapsing under the weight of civil war and famine. The conflict between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced more than 14 million people, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis today. Nearly half of Sudan’s population, around 25 million people, are now battling acute hunger, with children suffering most.

The toll in Darfur is especially dire. In Al-Fasher, half the population are children, and thousands are acutely malnourished. Every two hours in Zamzam camp, a child dies from hunger or disease. Cholera and malaria are spreading rapidly, turning famine into a deadly web of crises. In August 2025, a devastating landslide in Tarasin village killed around 1,000 people, many of them children, adding yet another layer of tragedy.

What makes Sudan’s crisis even more alarming is that it is a “silent emergency.” Unlike Gaza, it rarely makes headlines. But the scale of suffering is just as severe, with famine confirmed in parts of North Darfur and malnutrition-related deaths climbing every week.

Global Picture

These are not isolated emergencies. Around the world, nearly 300 million people are now at risk of starvation. Conflict, climate shocks, and economic crises are driving millions into deeper hunger. But Gaza and Sudan account for the most catastrophic levels of food insecurity, together representing over 95% of those facing the harshest conditions.

Key Humanitarian Figures

Region	Population Affected	Children at Risk	Malnutrition / Deaths	Aid & Services	Notes
Gaza	500,000 in famine (IPC 5); projected 640,000 by Sept 2025	320,000 under five at risk of acute malnutrition	12,000 children acutely malnourished in July 2025; 74 malnutrition deaths this year (24 children under five)	Only 127 of 236 treatment centers functional; aid trucks reduced to ~110/day vs   ~650 previously	Food prices up by 1,400%; one in three people going days without eating
Sudan (nationwide)	~25 million people acutely food insecure (half of population)	700,000 children acutely malnourished since war began	Estimated 522,000 children may have already died	Over 14 million displaced (9 million internally)	Cholera outbreak: 96,000 suspected cases, 2,400 deaths
Darfur (focus)	Al-Fasher: 260,000 residents; Zamzam camp overcrowded	Half of residents are children; 6,000 severely malnourished in Al-Fasher	In Zamzam camp, 1 child dying every 2 hours; 10,000 children treated for SAM in 2025	Almost no medical supplies	August 2025 landslide killed ~1,000, incl. 200 children
Global	~300 million people at risk of starvation	–	–	–	95% of “catastrophic” famine cases are in Gaza and Sudan

Why This Matters

Numbers tell us the scale, but stories reveal the truth. A mother in Sudan, burying her child after days without food. A young boy in Gaza, too weak from hunger to attend school. These are not statistics; they are real lives caught in a crisis they did not create.

The reality is that famine is man-made. It does not occur without war, political failure, and blockages to aid. And because it is man-made, it is preventable.

What Needs to Be Done

The path forward is clear. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow freely and safely. Political leaders must work toward ceasefires that prioritize civilian lives. Local health and nutrition systems need urgent support to avoid complete collapse. And above all, the dignity and protection of children must be placed at the center of every response.

If the world fails to act, the losses will not just be counted in numbers, but in futures erased and generations scarred.

From Gaza to Sudan, famine is not just about hunger—it is about humanity. Children should not be dying from empty stomachs in a world with enough food to feed everyone. These crises demand more than compassion; they demand action.

The question is not whether we can act. It is whether we will.

 

 

 

When Governments Refuse Peace: What Can Still Be Done

The hardest truth is this: humanitarians cannot end wars. In Gaza and Sudan, leaders hide behind “security” or “military necessity” to justify violence and block aid. While they fight, children starve. Requests from the humanitarian community are ignored, and bombs speak louder than appeals.

But even in this bleak landscape, action is possible. Wars don’t stop just because aid agencies ask; they stop when the political and moral cost of continuing becomes too high. That is why global pressure matters. Regional bodies, powerful states, and ordinary citizens all have a role in raising the cost of inaction. Silence is a green light; outrage forces attention.

We must also remember that public voices carry weight. When people around the world speak out, whether by demanding ceasefires, writing to leaders, or refusing to look away, it creates pressure governments cannot dismiss. History is full of proof, from anti-apartheid movements to the global ban on landmines; change has always begun with collective voices refusing silence.

Even in war, humanitarian corridors can be negotiated. They may be fragile and temporary, but they save lives—allowing food to pass through, children to be evacuated, and hospitals to be resupplied. Local communities, too, are already stepping up. In Sudan and Gaza, volunteers and doctors risk their own lives to deliver aid. Supporting them directly is one of the most effective ways to save lives right now.

And accountability matters. Documenting crimes like the deliberate starvation of civilians may not stop tomorrow’s battle, but it makes clear that the world is watching, and justice, however delayed, will come.

As humanitarians often say, “We cannot wait for perfect peace to save lives. We act in the cracks of conflict.” That is our charge today. To open those cracks wider, to push for corridors, to feed children, to amplify voices, and to never let famine be normalized as “collateral damage.”

The suffering in Gaza and Sudan will not end with one article or one appeal. But every voice that refuses silence, every action that pushes for access, and every life saved in the cracks of conflict bring us closer to a different future.

About the Author: Tahir Ali Shah is a humanitarian professional with over 30 years of experience managing protection and development programs across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has worked extensively in refugee response, child protection, GBV prevention, and humanitarian advocacy. He can be reached at tshaha@gmail.com