On World Humanitarian Day, the Arab League sounded the alarm over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
According to Haifa Abu-Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the Arab League, a staggering 25.6 million people in Sudan are now facing acute hunger.
This figure represents more than half of the country’s population, with over 755,000 people teetering on the brink of famine, as reported by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
Abu-Ghazaleh highlighted the severe challenges that relief workers encounter in delivering humanitarian aid, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and security issues in the region.
She emphasized that the collapse of Sudan’s healthcare system due to the ongoing conflict has led to the spread of numerous diseases, including a recent cholera outbreak in several areas over the past month, amid a critical shortage of cholera vaccines.
In her statement marking World Humanitarian Day, Abu-Ghazaleh urged the World Health Organization and other relevant bodies to expedite the provision of vaccines to Sudan to curb the spread of this deadly disease.
She also called on donors to increase their support for Sudan’s humanitarian appeal, which currently stands at $2.7 billion but is only 32% funded. Additionally, she appealed for the facilitation of urgent humanitarian aid delivery across the country.
Furthermore, Abu-Ghazaleh noted that earlier this month, the Arab League’s General Secretariat received an urgent appeal from Yemen for assistance in response to the devastating floods that have hit the provinces of Hodeidah and Hajjah.
The appeal calls on regional and international partners, as well as humanitarian organizations, to support the Yemeni government’s efforts in managing this disaster, which has overwhelmed the government’s capacity in the affected areas.
She urged all concerned parties to collaborate with the Yemeni government to provide relief to those affected by the floods and to help mitigate the severe impact of this humanitarian catastrophe.
The Arab League’s General Secretariat continues to provide various forms of support through its specialized ministerial councils and affiliated organizations to alleviate the difficult humanitarian conditions in some member states.
Abu-Ghazaleh commended the ongoing efforts of member states in continuously supporting countries facing dire humanitarian situations, easing the suffering of those most in need.
The United Nations General Assembly established World Humanitarian Day on August 19 each year to honor the memory of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Iraq and 22 humanitarian workers who were killed in a bombing in Baghdad in 2003.
