In the Alban Jadeed Hospital in Sudan’s war-ravaged capital, malnourished children lie beside their frail mothers, desperately in need of life-saving treatment. However, limited medical supplies and food shortages continue to worsen the crisis, leaving doctors with no choice but to ration essential therapeutic milk and medications.

The ongoing war, which began in April 2023 as a power struggle between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has led to what the United Nations describes as the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis. Nearly half of Sudan’s 50 million population is experiencing acute hunger, with famine declared in at least five regions, including parts of North Darfur.

In greater Khartoum, where the cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri are divided by the Nile, aid deliveries and commercial supplies have been blocked by warring factions, driving up food prices beyond affordability. At Alban Jadeed Hospital in Bahri’s Sharg Elnil district, over 14,000 children under five years old were treated for severe acute malnutrition in 2023, with an additional 12,000 suffering from moderate malnutrition, according to Dr. Azza Babiker, head of the hospital’s therapeutic nutrition department. Shockingly, only 600 children assessed had a normal weight.

The supply of therapeutic formula milk provided by UNICEF and medical aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has proved insufficient, particularly after RSF forces reportedly stole supplies on two occasions. Both warring sides deny obstructing humanitarian aid.

The situation is expected to worsen due to a sharp reduction in USAID funding, affecting the budgets of aid agencies that provide crucial nutritional support and operate community kitchens relied upon by many struggling families.

With food prices soaring, basic nutrition is becoming increasingly out of reach. Fruits and vegetables are now rare commodities, and many mothers, suffering from malnutrition or the psychological trauma of war, are unable to produce breast milk, according to Dr. Raneen Adel, a physician at Alban Jadeed. Cases of dehydration and severe infections are rising, exacerbated by the hospital’s dwindling supply of antibiotics.

The Sudanese army recently gained control of Sharg Elnil from the RSF amid its recent advances in the capital. However, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with no immediate relief in sight.