News Links : February 6 - 7, 2026

6 February 2026

Sudan

Child malnutrition hits catastrophic levels

Acute malnutrition among children has reached catastrophic levels in Sudan's North Darfur and Greater Kordofan, with rates of 52.9 per cent in Um Baru—nearly twice the famine threshold—and 34 per cent in Kernoi. Across Sudan, nearly 4.2 million cases of acute malnutrition are expected in 2026. Markets in Greater Kordofan are among the least functional in Sudan, with food prices far above national averages.

Drone strike on aid convoy kills one, wounds several

A drone attack on a World Food Programme aid convoy in North Kordofan killed one person and wounded several others on Friday. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown came across burning aid trucks after visiting El-Obeid. Emergency Lawyers and Sudan Doctors Network blamed the RSF paramilitary forces for the attack, calling it a war crime and violation of international humanitarian law. The convoy was headed to an area near El-Obeid, a city under army control but encircled by the RSF for a year.

Army breakthrough raises hope for aid to famine-stricken Kadugli

Sudan's army broke the years-long siege on Kadugli, the famine-stricken capital of South Kordofan, offering hope that aid could resume. Aid trucks have started arriving in nearby Dilling. However, analysts warn access remains fragile. Hours after the army entered Kadugli, an RSF drone attack on a medical center killed 15 people including seven children. The fighting has displaced over 88,000 people from Kordofan since October. The UN projects nearly 4.2 million acute malnutrition cases in Sudan in 2026 compared with 3.7 million in 2025.

Syria

Basic services resume at Syrian camp housing Daesh families

Basic services at Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria are returning to normal after government forces captured the facility from Kurdish fighters on 21 January. The camp holds about 24,000 people, including 14,500 Syrians and nearly 3,000 Iraqis. Residents report food shortages and lack of education for children. One mother said children haven't had vegetables and fruits for a month, while shortages of baby formula and diapers persist.

Yemen

Yemen aid flights set to resume to Houthi-controlled capital

UN Humanitarian Air Service flights to Sana'a will resume after being blocked for over a month. The agreement will allow NGOs to enter and exit Sana'a to assist millions in need. More than 19.5 million people need humanitarian assistance and over 4.8 million are internally displaced, but funding only meets 25 per cent of needs.

Burkina Faso

Arrests and red tape: How Burkina Faso's junta is throttling humanitarian aid

Burkina Faso's junta has detained over 70 aid workers since 2022, with arrests increasing recently. Relief groups remain blocked from jihadist-controlled areas while bureaucratic obstacles constrain operations. In besieged Kantchari, residents report "almost all our elderly have died" from hunger. Government data claiming over a million returnees is viewed as politicized. The country received only 30% of its $800 million humanitarian funding request last year.