ALBAWABA - UNICEF stated on Saturday that 1.4 million oral cholera vaccine doses have arrived at a port in war-torn eastern Sudan.
The shipment seeks to safeguard children from a cholera outbreak that has afflicted ten of the country's 18 states since July, resulting in over 18,000 cases and 550 deaths, according to the UNICEF statement.
The fresh vaccinations augment the 404,000 doses supplied last month, bolstering current immunization efforts aimed at 1.81 million individuals in the most impacted areas, the statement said.
According to UNICEF, an estimated 3.4 million children under the age of five in Sudan are at high risk of epidemic illnesses, with 3.1 million at danger of cholera by December.
"Delivery of the vaccines … is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Sudan.
The country's healthcare system is suffering, with national vaccine coverage falling from 85% to 50% and more than 70% of hospitals in combat zones not operating.
Sudan has been entangled in violence between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, with at least 12,260 people dead and more than 33,000 injured, according to UN estimates.
