Nearly 300 children have been safely rescued from an orphanage in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, aid agencies say.

They had been staying at the Mygoma Orphanage, where more than 70 children are reported to have died from hunger and illness since the conflict in Sudan broke out in mid-April.

The orphanage was in an area of the city "where the conflict has been raging", according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Aged between one month and 15 years, the 297 children have been taken to Wad Madani, about 200km (125 miles) from Khartoum, it said.

They are now at a transit centre and the UN children’s agency (Unicef) says it is working with the relevant authorities in identifying foster families for them.

“The safe movement of these incredibly vulnerable children to a place of safety offers a ray of light in the midst of the ongoing conflict in Sudan,” said Mandeep O’Brien, a Unicef representative.