At least three babies are being born every minute in Sudan under conditions no child should face, according to a warning from international charity Save the Children on Tuesday.
Official data shows 5.6 million births have occurred in Sudan since the conflict began in April 2023. This equates to roughly 5,000 children arriving every day in a nation where millions struggle to eat even one meal a day.
“These children are born in overcrowded shelters, under-equipped or damaged health facilities, or while their families are on the move,” said Mohamed Abdiladif, Save the Children's country director in Sudan.
The war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has entered its third year. The fighting between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo has displaced some 12 million people.
Healthcare system near collapse
Violence against civilian infrastructure has pushed Sudan's healthcare system to its breaking point. The maternal mortality rate has climbed from 263 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 295 per 100,000 in 2025.
Up to 80 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are now nonoperational. Remaining clinics face critical shortages of medicine, staff, and fuel.
The World Health Organization has verified approximately 200 attacks on health facilities since the conflict started, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths.
In March, a drone strike on the al-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur killed at least 64 people, including 13 children. The attack rendered the entire hospital nonfunctional.
Abdiladif stated that these attacks severely and permanently damage access to essential care for mothers and newborns.
“All parties involved in the conflict must ensure the protection of civilians and allow access to reach families in urgent need of assistance,” Abdiladif said.
