190 children killed, 1,700 injured in conflict-hit Sudan: UNICEF

By Betul Yuruk

NEW YORK (AA) - Fighting in Sudan has killed 190 children and left 1,700 others injured, according to the UN Children's Agency, UNICEF.

The conflict-hit African nation has been engulfed by violence for weeks with fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

''The situation in Sudan is teetering toward catastrophe, and children are increasingly caught in the crossfire,'' UNICEF said in a statement.

''Children have been living amid terrifying violence for nearly three weeks, and countless families are now on the move to safety in Sudan and beyond its borders.”

Humanitarian workers have also been attacked, while humanitarian facilities, vehicles and supplies – including those of UNICEF – have been looted or destroyed, it said.

It said that these attacks are undermining the agency's capacity to reach children across the country with lifesaving health, nutrition, water and sanitation services.

The agency called on Sudan's warring parties to adhere to international law by ensuring that humanitarian actors can safely operate on the ground to support civilians in need.

Recent clashes left at least 550 people dead and more than 5,000 injured. It also forced more than 100,000 residents to flee to neighboring countries.