The conflict in Sudan has left 24 million people, roughly half of the country’s population, in need of food and other forms of assistance. However, only 2.5 million have received aid due to severe fighting and funding shortages, according to top United Nations officials on Friday.
Eden Worsorno, Director of Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Ted Sheiban, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who recently returned from Sudan, portrayed a harrowing image of destruction and disruption in Sudan, with no peace talks in sight.
Worsorno highlighted that hotspots, such as the capital Khartoum, South Kordofan, and areas of West Darfur, have been “torn apart by relentless violence”. She further added that nearly 4 million people who have fled from the fighting are facing intense heat reaching 48 degrees Celsius, threats of attacks, violence, and death.
The ongoing conflict, which has been raging for almost four months, has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and over 6,000 injuries, according to government figures released in June. However, doctors and activists suggest that the real toll could be much higher.
Sheiban said, “Before the war erupted on April 15, Sudan was already grappling with a humanitarian crisis. More than 110 days of brutal fighting have turned this crisis into a disaster, threatening the lives and futures of a generation of children and youth who make up over 70% of the population.”
