ICRC and UNICEF Evacuate Children from Maygoma Orphanage

More than 280 children and 70 caretakers from the Maygoma Orphanage have been evacuated from Khartoum to a safer location outside the capital on 7 June 2023, due to the ongoing heavy combat between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the evacuation of 297 children, aged between one month and 15, were taken to Wad Madani, El Gezira State about 200 km from Khartoum. 

#Sudan: A moment of respite.

Yesterday, we facilitated the evacuation of 280 children and 70 Maygoma Orphanage caretakers from Khartoum.

Knowing these children are in a safer place where there is no shooting around them is an enormous relief.

Our colleague JC Sandoz: pic.twitter.com/NubfSt2SWq

— ICRC (@ICRC) June 8, 2023

‘They spent incredibly difficult moments in an area where the conflict has been raging for the past six weeks without access to proper healthcare, an especially hard situation for children with special needs,’ stated a press release on the ICRC website.

According to ICRC, some of the evacuated children suffer from mental health conditions, that could be exacerbated by the stressful conflict environment they were living in.

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The ICRC facilitated the evacuation following the request from the Ministry of Social Development, and in close coordination with the Ministry of Health. As a neutral intermediary, it obtained security guarantees from the parties to the conflict to ensure safe passage for the children and the orphanage staff. Upon arrival in Wad Madani, the children were transferred to the custody of the ministry’s personnel.

The evacuation came after emergency appeals were launched when news of children have been trapped at the Maygoma Orphanage and are dying since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023. At least 50 children have died at the orphange due to the lack of food, water, medication and medical supplies, and of illnesses.

In addition to ICRC, UNICEF supporting the children’s medical care, feeding, psycho-social stimulation, play and educational activities, and supporting carers for the relocated children. UNICEF has provided support to rehabilitate and prepare the transit centre that children have been relocated to and is working with the relevant authorities in identifying foster families for the children.

This is how humanity and kindness triumphs over the devastation of fighting in #Sudan.

Watch the lifesaving work of the @UNICEFSudan team with the children from #mygoma.

We never give up, #ForEveryChild pic.twitter.com/4a933UxqPG

— UNICEF Sudan (@UNICEFSudan) June 10, 2023

According to UNICEF, more than 13.6 million children are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support, the highest number ever recorded in the country. The impact of ongoing violence continues to threaten the lives and futures of families and children, leaving basic services cut off and many health facilities closed, damaged, or destroyed. UNICEF is calling for USD838 million to address the crisis, an increase of USD253 million since the current conflict began in April 2023.

Since the beginning of the conflict in #Sudan, # of children requiring humanitarian assistance ⬆️57%, now totalling 13.6M children.@UNICEF‘s Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) is launched today.

Find out more👇https://t.co/di6xAdAK4x pic.twitter.com/0qTLloPh0A

— UNICEF Sudan (@UNICEFSudan) May 30, 2023

In addition, WFP provided critical nutrition assistance to children who were rescued from the orphanage. According to WFP, more than 15 million people were already facing severe food insecurity prior to the conflict. The numbers are expected to “grow significantly” as the unrest continues. WFP is distributing food in four states – Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala and White Nile.

In #Gezira 📍 #Sudan 🇸🇩 @WFP provided critical nutrition assistance to children who were rescued from the #Mygoma orphanage in Khartoum▶️👇 pic.twitter.com/hdag4T09fa

— WFP Sudan (@WFP_Sudan) June 13, 2023

ICRC has been closely cooperating with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) to deliver surgical supplies to hospitals, help collect and identify mortal remains, and improve access to clean water. The two organisations have also supported families who lost contact with their loved ones. In addition, the ICRC has maintained dialogue with all the parties to facilitate medical evacuations of wounded people and remind them of their obligations under the norms of international humanitarian law.  

ICRC has been present in Sudan since 1978 helping people affected by the conflict in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and promoting international humanitarian law (IHL). Their work, independently or in cooperation with SRCS, includes supporting hospitals and health facilities with equipment and supplies, working with local water authorities on improving people’s access to clean water, and supporting the authorities who provide rehabilitation services for people with disabilities.

ICRC Sudan provide displaced people in conflict-affected areas with emergency assistance, distribute seeds and tools to farmers, and vaccinate pastoralists’ livestock against disease. ICRC Sudan are helping families separated by conflict or displacement keep in touch.

Sources: ICRC, UNICEF

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