Organization: Rural Community Development Organization (RCDO)
Project Overview:
Sudan's children are facing the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe. As conflict enters its third year, an estimated 825,000 children under five are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2026—the deadliest form of hunger . In parts of North Darfur, more than half of all children are already acutely malnourished, with global acute malnutrition rates reaching an unprecedented 53% in Um Baru—one of the highest levels ever recorded anywhere on earth .
The Rural Community Development Organization (RCDO) is launching its Child Nutrition Support project to deliver life-saving therapeutic nutrition to the most vulnerable children in Sudan's hardest-hit communities.
The Crisis:
Children in Sudan are dying not just from hunger, but from a catastrophic combination of factors:
Famine conditions have surpassed emergency thresholds in multiple locations, including Um Baru and Kernoi in North Darfur
70% of health facilities are non-functional, leaving malnourished children without access to care
Disease outbreaks (cholera, measles, malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections) are turning treatable illnesses into death sentences for already malnourished children
Nearly half of all children in areas like At Tina have been sick in the past two weeks, suffering from fever, diarrhea, and respiratory infections in contexts with low vaccination coverage and unsafe water
Humanitarian access is shrinking, with only 23% of severely malnourished children in Um Baru and 14% in Kernoi receiving care at the time of screening
As UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires warns: "These children are between six months and five years old, and they are running out of time" . More than half of the children in North Darfur's Um Baru are "wasting away while we watch" .
Our Response:
RCDO is on the ground implementing a comprehensive Child Nutrition Support program that delivers:
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) —the globally recognized standard of care for severe acute malnutrition, a nutrient-rich paste that requires no preparation, no refrigeration, and no clean water
Community-based screening using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurements to identify malnourished children before they reach critical condition
Referral pathways connecting children with medical complications to stabilization centers for intensive care
Training for community health workers who conduct outreach, screening, and follow-up in hard-to-reach areas
Integration with disease prevention including vaccination, malaria control, and safe water access to address the multiple threats facing malnourished children
RCDO works in coordination with UNICEF, WHO, and other humanitarian partners to ensure alignment with national nutrition protocols and to maximize reach despite severe access constraints .
Target Beneficiaries:
Children under five years suffering from severe acute malnutrition
Children in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and informal settlements
Communities in North Darfur (Um Baru, Kernoi, At Tina) and other hotspots where malnutrition has reached catastrophic levels
Kordofan region, where the crisis is spreading and humanitarian access remains constrained
The Urgency:
The window to prevent significant loss of life is closing rapidly . Fresh fighting has erupted in areas already hosting displaced populations, forcing humanitarian partners to pause operations and limiting access to treatment . Meanwhile, 33.7 million people across Sudan need humanitarian assistance—half of them children .
Call to Action:
The world must stop looking away from Sudan's children . RCDO's Child Nutrition Support project offers a direct, proven intervention that saves lives. With your support, we can reach more children with the therapeutic food that pulls them back from the brink.
Your Donation Provides:
$30 - One month of therapeutic food for one child
$50 - Complete treatment course for one severely malnourished child
$100 - Screening and treatment for 10 children in a hard-to-reach community
$250 - Support for a community health worker reaching 50 children
$500 - Therapeutic food supplies for an entire village
