Nearly 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers could die in the coming months due to hunger unless urgent, life-saving funding is released to respond to the massive and worsening crisis in Sudan.
More than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished and an additional 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most dangerous and deadly form of extreme hunger, according to new figures released by the Nutrition Cluster in Sudan, a partnership of organisations including the UN, Federal Ministry of Health, and NGOs including Save the Children.
"A humanitarian travesty is playing out in Sudan under a veil of international inattention and inaction"
Of these children, more than 109,000 are likely to have medical complications like dehydration, hypothermia and hypoglycemia, which require intensive and specialized care at a hospital to survive.
“The nutrition situation and the ability of children and other vulnerable groups to get the food they need to grow and survive in Sudan is one of the worst in the world," said Dr Arif Noor, Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan said.
"No planting last year means no food today. No planting today means no food tomorrow. The cycle of hunger is getting worse and worse with no end in sight – only more misery.
“We are seeing massive hunger, suffering and death. And yet the world looks away. The international community must come together to act and prevent more lives being lost. History will remember this inaction,” Dr Arif added.
Sudan is facing one of the largest unfolding crises globally. About 25 million people – of whom over 14 million are children – need humanitarian assistance and support. That is every second person in Sudan needing assistance to meet their basic needs.
Sudan among 'worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory': UN
Since April last year, fighting between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has killed tens of thousands and led to acute food shortages and a looming risk of famine.
