On Friday, UNICEF sounded the alarm that approximately 700,000 children in Sudan are at risk of experiencing the most severe form of malnutrition this year, with tens of thousands facing the potential of losing their lives.
The 10-month-long conflict in Sudan, involving the armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has inflicted extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, triggered famine warnings, and displaced millions of people both within and outside the nation.
James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, emphasized the dire consequences of the past 300 days of conflict, stating that over 700,000 children are likely to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form. He pointed out that UNICEF’s ability to treat more than 300,000 of these children is hindered without improved access and additional support, potentially resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives.
Severe acute malnutrition significantly increases the risk of death from diseases such as cholera and malaria. In addition to the 700,000 at risk of the deadliest form, 3.5 million children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
UNICEF currently provides “ready-to-use therapeutic food” (RUTF), a life-saving food item for treating severe wasting in children under five years old, to Sudan. The organization is urgently seeking $840 million to aid over 7.5 million children in Sudan this year.
However, Elder expressed dismay at the lack of funds collected in response to previous appeals, emphasizing that despite the magnitude of needs, funding sought for nearly three-quarters of Sudanese children last year did not materialize.
Earlier this week, the United Nations appealed for $4.1 billion to meet humanitarian needs in Sudan and support those who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Half of Sudan’s population, around 25 million people, require humanitarian assistance and protection, while over 1.5 million have fled to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
