A Khartoum orphanage has been evacuated by the Red Cross as fighting continues in Sudan, after scores of children died at the institution.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the evacuation of 280 orphans and 70 caregivers from the Maygona orphanage to a safer location outside the country’s capital. 

The ICRC said they secured an agreement between the warring parties that they could have safe passage. 

The orphans ranging from one month to 15 years were evacuated from Maygoma Orphanage to Wad Madani, a city 200 km away from Khartoum. 

As many as 67 children were reported to have died in the orphanage.

The children died of starvation and infections after carers were reportedly prevented from getting to the orphanage by the weeks of fighting.

ICRC said some of the evacuated children have mental health issues, which may be made worse by the tense crisis atmosphere they were residing in.

Since the war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15 hundreds of civilians have been killed. 

‘Relief’

A number of ceasefires have failed despite efforts by other countries. 

As of June 7, the International Organisation for Migration said 1.4 million people have been displaced within the country and at least 476,800 have fled to neighbouring countries that are already battling poverty and internal conflict. 

“Knowing these children are safe is an enormous relief,” said Jean-Christophe Sandoz, the head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan. 

“They spent incredibly difficult moments in an area where the conflict has been raging for the past 6 weeks without access to proper healthcare, an especially hard situation for children with special needs.”

Rape cases have been rising daily. Additionally, there are pregnant women who require medical assistance, some of whom have complications. 

Some medical facilities have turned away patients because they don’t have enough beds, while others have closed due to safety concerns.

Sanctions

Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on the Sudanese companies it accused of fueling the war in the North African country. 

Sudan’s largest defence company Defense Industries System, Sudan Master Technology, and Algunade, which is claimed to be a holding company in Sudan run by RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and his brother, as well as Tradive General Trading L.L.C., a front company run by another brother of the RSF Commander were among the companies sanctioned. 

“Through sanctions, we are cutting off key financial flows to both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, depriving them of resources needed to pay soldiers, rearm, resupply, and wage war in Sudan,” U.S Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Also, the Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdulfatah al-Burhan has declared head of the UN mission in the country, Volker Perthes ‘persona non grata’, two weeks after accusing him of fueling the conflict.

However, the head of the UN Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked” by a letter purportedly from Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan asking for the special envoy to be replaced, adding that the international organisation is pleased of the work he is doing in the country.