In the wake of the Sudan conflict, a staggering 3.4 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries, facing an escalating health crisis, warns the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO underscored the rapid intensification of health threats resulting from the Sudan conflict, with infectious diseases and other afflictions reported among the displaced population seeking shelter in remote and underserved regions.
The situation is dire, with limited access to healthcare services for those who have fled both within Sudan and across its borders.
About 760,000 displaced individuals have sought safety in neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
WHO’s dedicated staff is collaborating with the national authorities of these nations to provide essential health assistance to the affected population.
Chad, which witnesses an average influx of 2,500 people daily, has identified and treated over 1,400 trauma cases. In the CAR, among some 17,000 refugees, including young children, cases of malaria and suspected instances of yellow fever have been detected.
Moreover, Ethiopia, grappling with an inflow of a large number of refugees, has reported a suspected cholera outbreak in its northern region.
Meanwhile, South Sudan has been inundated with over 176,000 refugees, straining the facilities in the northern Renk area.
Acute watery diarrhea cases among children under five have escalated, resulting in heightened mortality. Additionally, an alarming surge in severe acute malnutrition and measles cases among children under five years has been recorded in the region.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), commonly known as Doctors Without Borders, further reported that over 140,000 individuals, mostly South Sudanese women, and children fleeing from Khartoum, have recently sought refuge in White Nile state since the onset of the conflict in Sudan.
