Dozens of children in Sudan’s North Darfur state have developed an undiagnosed skin rash, prompting calls for urgent medical assistance amid food shortages and deteriorating health conditions, local Sudanese media reported on Tuesday.
Cases have been reported in Abdel Shakour, north of Kutum, as well as displacement camps and surrounding communities, raising concerns about possible spread.
A medical source in Kutum said some affected children had been brought to the town for assessment. Plans were also under way to transfer some patients to Nyala for further examinations to establish the cause and determine appropriate treatment.
Hawa Youssef Adam, the mother of an affected child, said symptoms began with itching, followed by bruise-like marks that later developed into a rash. She said the discomfort kept children awake at night and that similar symptoms were appearing rapidly among other children.
Adam also reported large numbers of flies in the area, where dozens of children were suffering from malnutrition and low body weight because of food shortages. No medical link between these conditions and the rash has been established.
The Abdel Shakour Emergency Response Room, a local volunteer aid group, first raised the alarm on Saturday after children developed unexplained bruising, rashes and sores on different parts of their bodies.
The group warned of possible transmission among children amid limited healthcare services and the absence of a diagnosis. It urged health authorities and humanitarian organisations to deploy medical support, identify the illness and provide treatment.
It also called for stronger health services as food scarcity, fly infestations and worsening sanitary conditions compound concerns for children’s wellbeing.
The cause of the symptoms remains unknown, with health workers continuing to monitor cases and carry out examinations.
