Hunger and disease are worsening in war-torn Sudan, with famine already affecting several regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Around 25 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and nearly 100,000 cases of cholera have been reported since last July.
The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced millions and divided the country into competing zones of control.
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The RSF remains firmly entrenched in western Sudan, while funding shortages are severely limiting humanitarian aid efforts, according to Reuters.
“Relentless violence has pushed Sudan’s health system to the edge, adding to a crisis marked by hunger, illness and despair,” said Ilham Nour, WHO’s Senior Emergency Officer, in a statement.
“Exacerbating the disease burden is hunger,” she added, warning that about 770,000 children under five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.
Cholera has also spread beyond Sudan’s borders. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported an outbreak in the Dougui refugee settlement in eastern Chad, home to refugees from Darfur.
So far, 264 cases and 12 deaths have been recorded, said Patrice Ahouansou, UNHCR’s situation coordinator in the region. The agency has halted the relocation of refugees from the Sudanese border to stop further infections.
“Without urgent action, including enhancing access to medical treatment, to clean water, to sanitation, to hygiene, and most important, relocation from the border, many more lives are on the line,” Ahouansou told reporters in Geneva.
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Image Credit: Unicef
