AMMAN — UNICEF has said that at least 20 Sudanese children were killed in January, most of them in the Kordofan and Darfur regions in western Sudan.

 

The deaths were cited in a report published by the UN children’s agency addressing the situation of children across the region, including Sudan.

 

“In Sudan, in January 2026, at least 20 children were killed, most of them killed in the Kordofan and Darfur states,” UNICEF said.

 

The agency warned that “millions of children in Sudan require lifesaving assistance, protection and the restoration of essential services” as fighting continues to devastate large parts of the country.

 

UNICEF said famine has already been confirmed in Al Fasher in North Darfur and in Kadugli in Kordofan, with nearly 20 other areas at risk.

 

The agency said that Sudan continues to face extremely complex humanitarian crises, which have left 15.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 8.5 million children.

 

More than 4 million children have been forcibly displaced internally ad across borders, making it the world’s largest internal displacement crisis for children, UNICEF said.

 

Over 13 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance.