Distressing times for children and women in Sudan

The ongoing war in Sudan has pushed children and adults in El Fasher in southwestern part of the country to the limit of survival as access to food, clean water, medicine and healthcare dwindle even as violence continues to escalate. In a joint statement on Thursday, a group of international non-governmental organizations operating in Sudan including CARE International and Save the Children International said due to lack of food, some boys have joined fighters while some girls married fighters as a means of survival to get food, adding that other children have been eating leaves from trees to survive. Aid workers from NGOs working in the region said children were witnessing atrocities no child should see, which were impacting their behaviour with many becoming anxious, not sleeping and suffering psychological distress. "Community members tell us that young girls have been forced to marry fighters, and young women are engaging in sex in exchange for food, water, and cash," the staff member said. "I see children crying… and I've noticed changes in their behaviour — poor sleep, more anxiety, a lack of appetite, depression, and psychological distress," he said.