ALBAWABA - As the first anniversary approaches, the war in Sudan continues to tear through the country while international aid organizations warn of the dire humanitarian situation, warning of a catastrophic hunger crisis.
Tens of thousands of people have been wounded or killed since the battle began on April 15, 2023, and millions have been forced to flee from their homes. According to the World Food Program, 5 million of the 18 million people suffering from acute hunger are on the verge of famine.
Dr. Richard Brennan, the regional emergency director for the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean, stated: "And yet this catastrophic humanitarian situation in Sudan today hardly receives the international attention that it warrants,".
"We estimate that almost 14,000 have been killed and 28,000 injured; there are ongoing outbreaks of cholera, measles, dengue fever, and malaria; around 3.4 million children are acutely malnourished; and 70 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are non-functional or only partially functional," Brennan said.
According to UNICEF, approximately 3.7 million children in Sudan will be acutely malnourished this year, including 730,000 who require life-saving care.
Jill Lawler, chief of field operations and emergency for UNICEF in Sudan, led a team of 12 UNICEF staff on a mission to Omdurman.
"The scale and magnitude of needs for children nationwide are simply staggering. Some of the most vulnerable children are in the hardest-to-reach places" Lawler stated.
The World Health Organization claims that intensifying fighting is preventing vitally needed humanitarian relief from reaching millions of people across Sudan.
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, released a statement on Friday saying: "We are especially concerned about the situation in Darfur states, where no direct humanitarian access has been possible for several months, and only limited aid is reaching people in these areas,".
"During my meetings with the deputy prime minister and minister of health, I received reassurances that all efforts will be made to facilitate the scale up of the health response throughout Sudan," Balkhy added.
UNICEF is urging the warring parties to allow for timely, continuous, and unhindered humanitarian access across conflict lines within Sudan and across borders with Sudan's neighboring countries.
