March 14, 2024
Agencies – Darfur 24
UN humanitarian workers have warned of rising rates of malnutrition in Sudan, as the devastating war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces approaches.
The United Nations has warned that about 220,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition, and more than 7,000 new mothers, may die in the coming months if they do not receive urgent assistance, according to the latest statistics issued by partners working in the field of nutrition.
United Nations spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, referred in the daily press conference to reports that he said were alarming about deaths among children due to malnutrition, including in displacement sites in Darfur.
Dujarric reiterated the Secretary-General’s call to silence the guns during the holy month of Ramadan, warning that the country is on track to become the world’s largest hunger crisis, with some 18 million people facing acute food insecurity – a number that is feared to rise with the onset of the lean season during… The coming months, according to Mr. Dujarric.
He explained that the humanitarian response plan for this year seeks to obtain $2.7 billion, but it has so far received only 5 percent of the total required amount. “And we only have $130 million.”
The UN spokesman stressed the need for additional resources so that the United Nations can expand the scope of the response in Sudan. He added: “We also need rapid and unrestricted humanitarian access to people in need across the country – including those trapped in conflict areas.”
About 3.7 million children across Sudan suffer from malnutrition, and many do not have access to treatment, especially those who live in hard-to-reach areas.
“Darfur 24” previously revealed that deaths among children in West Darfur state, due to hunger, were recorded to appeals for the need to open corridors for humanitarian aid to reach those in need.