The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that disease outbreaks, malnutrition and non-communicable diseases are rising in war-torn Sudan, with devastating consequences for millions of people forced to flee their homes in the face of escalating violence. Since conflict erupted April 15, some 6 million people have become displaced inside Sudan or have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
While more than 4.8 million people – Sudanese and refugees already residing in the country - are displaced within Sudan, around 1.2 million women, men, and children have fled to neighboring countries in search of assistance and protection.
More than six months into the conflict, Sudan is not only the fastest growing displacement crisis globally, but has also become the largest internal displacement crisis in the world with over 7.1 million Sudanese displaced within the country, according to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
"The health system in Sudan is stretched to breaking point as capacities decline in the face of mounting needs," said Ni'ma Saeed Abid, WHO representative in Sudan, speaking Tuesday in Port Sudan.
"Access to health care continues to be limited due to insecurity, displacement, and shortages of medicines and medical supplies, placing millions of Sudanese at risk of severe illness or death from preventable and treatable causes," he said.
According to the WHO, 70 to 80 percent of health facilities are "non-functional in conflict hotspots." The UN agency has verified 60 attacks against health care and personnel, leading to 34 deaths and 38 injuries.
"Conflict and the consequent massive displacement have driven the population further into a state of widespread malnutrition, with the lives of children hanging in the balance," said Abid.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimates, 20.3 million people, or 40 percent of Sudan's population, are facing hunger. Of these, 6.3 million people are at emergency levels of hunger, only one step away from famine.
Estimates show 4.6 million children, pregnant and nursing mothers are malnourished; 3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished; and 700,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which can lead to death.
"Cholera, measles, dengue and malaria are circulating in several states. And a combination of any of these diseases with malnutrition can be lethal," he warned.
The conflict has brought health care in the country to its knees, despite enormous efforts by health workers and aid agencies to continue to provide much-needed health services.
"I have seen two or three children put on the same bed for treatment for acute severe malnutrition because of the high number of cases," Abid said. "And all these children because of malnutrition are susceptible for infection."
Since September 26, Sudan has declared outbreaks of cholera in Gedaref, Khartoum and South Kordofan states, with suspected cases reported from Al Jazirah and Kassal states.
"And there is a possibility of further expansion because of the quality of water supply, because of the sanitation and because of displacement," Abid said. "We are expecting that we may see more states affected, more people affected."
As of last week, the WHO reports 1,962 suspected cholera cases with 30 lab-confirmed cases and 72 associated deaths. It estimates more than 3.1 million people are at risk of cholera until the end of December.
The World Health Organization has stockpiled drugs and essential supplies for the treatment of cholera patients. It has deployed 14 rapid response teams into the affected areas, strengthened the country's surveillance and early warning systems, and is getting ready to receive oral cholera vaccines for a campaign in Gedaref state.
The scale of the humanitarian disaster unfolding is unprecedented. The UN says Sudan is experiencing a “humanitarian crisis of epic proportions”. Millions of people – especially in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan – lack access to food, water, shelter, electricity, education, health care and nutrition. While efforts to contain some of the worst impacts of the disaster are critical, they are not enough.
"The humanitarian community has done its utmost to meet these ever-skyrocketing needs. Since mid-April, we have reached 3.6 million people with some form of aid – but this is just 20 percent of people we are hoping to help," said Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on Sunday.
Griffiths said only peace will stem the humanitarian tragedy that continues to unfold unabated in the country. In a statement over the weekend, he welcomed the resumption of peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, saying they couldn't have started soon enough.
"Thousands of people have been killed or injured. … Aid workers are hamstrung by fighting, insecurity, and red tape, making the operating environment in Sudan extremely challenging," he said.
"We need the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to break the bureaucratic logjam. We need them to fully adhere to international humanitarian law and to secure safe, sustained and unhindered access to people in need," the Emergency Relief Coordinator said.
Griffiths stressed that peace talks in Jeddah are a “decisive opportunity to let the people of Sudan know that they are not forgotten, that we take our international responsibilities seriously, and that we are committed to ensuring they receive the care, protection and life-saving assistance that they need.”
But despite the “colossal humanitarian crisis in Sudan” aid agencies are “billions of dollars short” of the funding they need.
The revised 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Sudan calls for US$2.6 billion to provide lifesaving assistance to an estimated 18.1 million people inside the country by the end of this year. As of November 2, the HRP is only 34 percent funded.
The number of people in need of humanitarian aid stands now at 24.7 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population. Among them are more than 13 million children in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.