At least three babies a minute are being born in Sudan into conditions “no child should ever face”, an international charity has warned, as a ruinous conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hits its third-year mark.

Save the Children said on Tuesday that official data showed 5.6 million births in Sudan since the start of the war in April 2023, meaning that 5,000 children a day are born in a country where millions are surviving on just one meal a day.

“These children are born in overcrowded shelters, under-equipped or damaged health facilities, or while their families are on the move,” said Mohamed Abdiladif, country director for Save the Children in Sudan.

“Children have a right to receive care and protection, even in conflict,” he added.

On April 15, 2023, a rivalry between Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the commander of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, exploded into a war that quickly spread across the country.