The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) highlighted today, Friday, the potential suffering of 700,000 children in Sudan from the most severe forms of malnutrition this year, with the possibility of tens of thousands dying. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder stated at a press conference in Geneva that "the repercussions of the last 300 days lead to an expectation that more than 700,000 children will suffer from the most severe forms of malnutrition this year."
He added, "UNICEF will not be able to treat more than 300,000 of these without improved access and without additional support. In this case, tens of thousands will likely die." Elder defined the most severe forms of malnutrition as acute and severe malnutrition that makes children about 10 times more susceptible to death due to diseases such as cholera and malaria, noting that an estimated 3.5 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
He said, "Despite the magnitude of the needs, the funding that UNICEF sought last year for about three-quarters of the children in Sudan was not attainable." UNICEF provides "ready-to-use therapeutic foods" for Sudan, which are life-saving foods that treat severe wasting in children under five.
UNICEF is urging for the collection of $840 million to assist just over 7.5 million children in Sudan this year, but Elder expressed regret over the insufficient funds raised in previous appeals. The ongoing war in Sudan, now in its tenth month between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has destroyed the country's infrastructure, prompted famine warnings, and led millions to be displaced both within and outside the country.
According to the UN, half of Sudan's population, approximately 25 million people, require humanitarian assistance and protection, while more than 1.5 million people have fled to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
