Sudan - WHO warns of biological risks after occupation of laboratory in Sudan that has dangerous samples

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Thousands of corpses are rotting on the streets of Khartoum


Health experts warn that decomposing bodies could risk major disease outbreaks, particularly as Sudan approaches cholera season
ByHarriet Barber, GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY REPORTER
8 August 2023 • 12:54pm


Thousands of corpses are rotting on the streets of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, as power outages have left morgues at breaking point, according to Save The Children.

Doctors have warned that the decomposing bodies could risk major disease outbreaks, particularly as Sudan meets its cholera season.

“The inability to give those who have died a dignified burial is yet another element of the suffering of families in Khartoum. We are seeing a health crisis in the making, on top of a crisis of sorrow, fear and pain,” said Dr Bashir Kamal Eldin Hamid, Save the Children’s Health and Nutrition Director.

more... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...health-hazard/

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 9 August 2023

9 August 2023
...
Finally, WHO remains highly concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan, which is now entering its fourth month of conflict.

More than 40% of the population of Sudan is now in hunger – double the number since May last year.

Limited access to medicines, medical supplies, electricity and water continue to pose a challenge to the delivery of health care in states affected by the conflict in Sudan.

WHO is also concerned about the humanitarian situation caused by the recent conflict in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

Almost 2 million people are in need of health assistance. The situation is made more complex by the influx of refugees from the conflict in Sudan.

In the three weeks before the conflict erupted, WHO dispatched 35 metric tonnes of supplies, which are enough to reach over half a million people in need.

We have also built a cholera treatment centre in Bahir Dar, but we face severe challenges with access and communications.

The people of Amhara cannot bear another conflict. WHO calls on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and return to talks.

...

https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---9-august-2023

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 6 Septmber 2023

6 September 2023
...

First to Sudan, where the humanitarian situation is continuing to deteriorate.

About 65% of the population has no access to health services and more than 70% of health facilities in conflict areas are not functioning.

The implications are horrific. Every day, nine patients with renal dialysis die, and dialysis centres in four states have closed due to lack of supplies.

In addition to supporting 11 hospitals, WHO is now rolling out 12 mobile health clinics to provide life-saving and essential health services to people with no access.

An additional 12 mobile clinics will be launched later this month.

Meanwhile, attacks on health have continued to increase.

So far, WHO has verified 56 attacks on health care, leading to 11 deaths and 38 injuries.

WHO condemns in the strongest terms the increasing attacks on health care in Sudan, and the occupation of health facilities.

The Sudan crisis has displaced close to 5 million people, including 1 million who have fled to neighbouring countries.

The health situation at Sudan’s borders is dire, with a combination of disease outbreaks, impact of extreme weather events, hunger and malnutrition.

WHO personnel and Emergency Medical Teams are on the ground, treating patients, delivering medical supplies, training health workers, and ensuring health facilities are functioning.

...

https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---6-septmber-2023

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PRESS RELEASES

UNHCR, WHO warn of deteriorating health conditions as 1,200 children die of suspected measles, malnutrition in Sudan


19 September 2023 Also available in: Françaisعربي

A child is assessed for malnutrition at a health facility in Um Sagour camp in Sudan's White Nile State.

© UNHCR/Ala Kheir

GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the World Health Organization (WHO) are again sounding the alarm on the worsening health situation caused by the Sudan crisis.

According to UNHCR teams in Sudan’s White Nile state, more than 1,200 refugee children under 5 have died in nine camps in the period between 15 May and 14 September, due to a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Over 3,100 suspected cases were also reported in the same period and more than 500 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in other parts of the country, along with outbreaks of dengue and malaria, in a context of increased epidemic risk and challenges for epidemic control.

“The world has the means and the money to prevent every one of these deaths from measles or malnutrition,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said today. “And yet dozens of children are dying every day – a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention. We can prevent more deaths, but need money for the response, access to those in need, and above all, an end to the fighting.”

Health facilities are under immense pressure due to shortages of staff, life-saving medicine and critical equipment. Repeated attacks on health facilities since the beginning of the conflict, including on personnel, patients, and transportation of medical supplies, are also impeding delivery of health services. The situation has brought health care in the country to its knees despite enormous efforts by local clinics and aid agencies to continue to provide much-needed health services.

“Local health workers, with the help of WHO and partners, are doing all they can, in very difficult conditions. But they desperately need the support of the international community to prevent further deaths and the spread of outbreaks,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We call on donors to be generous and on the warring parties to protect health workers and access to health for all those who need it.”

In Renk, South Sudan, humanitarian partners report increasing cases of children arriving with measles and high rates of malnutrition from Sudan, mainly from White Nile. The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan, over 5,770 suspected cases of measles have been reported with 142 deaths. Children younger than 5 are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all cases and 76 per cent of all deaths. Half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunization, especially amongst returnees and refugees. On average 103 children per month were admitted to health facilities for moderate or severe malnutrition between May and July, up from 14 total admissions before the conflict.

The situation is just as worrisome in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, where a cholera outbreak in Metema is fast evolving in sites hosting over 18,000 people who have fled the conflict in Sudan. As of 12 September, eight people have died from cholera among 435 reported suspected cases. Cholera vaccine stocks for routine immunization are also running low, putting refugees at risk of further infections. The lack of ambulances to transport and refer patients for further care, insufficient medical equipment for treatment and a shortage of critical health staff are putting lives at risk and seriously hampering the humanitarian response.

In a recent screening exercise in Chad, nearly 13,000 children below 5 were found to be acutely malnourished. The number of children with malnutrition being admitted to hospitals has increased by 56 per cent across the province of Ouaddai, which is hosting more than 80 per cent of the refugees, since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan. The high prevalence of malnutrition among incoming refugees reflects the very dire situation of the people in Darfur, fleeing across to Chad. In addition, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and malaria remain the three most frequent illnesses among children. Access to clean drinking water is also a major challenge, with families only receiving five litres per person, only one-third of what is recommended.

UNHCR, WHO and partners are working to provide urgent assistance inside Sudan and across borders and prevent more deaths. Food distribution is ongoing and measles vaccinations have been provided for children under 5 in the camps in Blue and White Nile states vaccinating over 53,000 children under 5 years old. In Chad, two measles vaccination campaigns have already reached 1.2 million children. WHO and partners have also launched an oral cholera vaccination campaign in Amhara, Ethiopia, over the weekend. WHO is also supporting stabilization centres through the provision of supplies for the treatment of severe malnutrition. WHO has provided urgently needed health supplies across South Sudan, Ethiopia and Chad, including essential medicines, medical supplies for the treatment of cholera, malnutrition and tents for mobile health clinics. Reproductive health kits, mental health care and psychosocial support are also being prioritized. In Ethiopia, cholera kits have been dispatched to Metema and an isolation tent and a nursing station are being installed.

https://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/unhcr-who-warn-deteriorating-health-conditions-1-200-children-die-suspected

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing - 21 February 2024

===

Sudan, while not receiving much international media attention, is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 10 months of conflict have had a deadly impact on the lives, livelihoods and health of the people.

Over 6 million people have been displaced internally and nearly 2 million have gone to neighbouring countries. This is the largest displacement of people in the world.

Half the population needs humanitarian aid. But partners cannot reach most of them.

Already, more than 14,000 people have been killed, and if the world turns a blind eye to the suffering in Sudan, many more will die.

About three quarters of hospitals in conflict-affected states are not working. The remaining ones are overwhelmed by the number of people seeking care, many of whom are internally displaced.

People are dying from a lack of access to basic and essential healthcare and medication.

Critical services, including maternal and child health care, the management of severe acute malnutrition, and treatment of patients with chronic conditions, have been discontinued in many areas.

A health system that was already struggling is now facing conflict, disease outbreaks and a relentless drought that has led to spiking hunger.

Since the start of the war, WHO has verified 62 attacks on health care with 38 deaths and 45 injuries.

WHO is scaling up on-the-ground efforts to deliver health emergency response, respond to disease outbreaks, sustain disease surveillance and provide life-saving medical supplies and equipment.

This includes embarking on a strong cross-border operation to reach previously unreachable areas in Darfur and Kordofan, where the need is greatest.

WHO condemns in the strongest terms the continued attacks on health care in Sudan, and the occupation of health facilities.

Like in Gaza, peace is desperately needed in Sudan to protect lives and rebuild the health system.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/remarks-at-the-media-briefing-21-february-2024

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 8 May 2024

8 May 2024
...
Now to Sudan, where more than a year of fighting has left the country facing a humanitarian disaster.

More than 15,000 deaths and 33,000 injuries have been reported since the conflict began in April last year.

15 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian health assistance.

Almost 9 million people are displaced, half of them children, with extremely limited access to health services.

More than 70% of hospitals in conflict-affected states, and almost half of health facilities in the rest of the country, are not functioning.

Those that are functioning are overwhelmed by people seeking care, many of whom are internally displaced.

Health facilities, ambulances, health workers and patients continue to be attacked, depriving entire communities of essential health services.

Just last week, two of our colleagues from the International Committee of the Red Cross were killed in South Darfur.

The conflict has led to a devastating deterioration in food security. More than one-third of the population is facing acute hunger, and there is a risk of famine in Darfur and Khartoum.

Humanitarian partners have released a famine prevention plan.

WHO’s priority is to ensure continuity of health services to prevent and respond to outbreaks, and to provide care for those most in need, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five.

Access to the most vulnerable remains highly constrained. It is imperative that all sides to the conflict provide unhindered humanitarian access to those in need, including through cross-border routes.

In neighbouring Chad, an outbreak of Hepatitis E has been declared, with more than 2,000 cases and 7 deaths, mainly among Sudanese refugees. WHO has deployed a team to support the response.

Most of all, we call for a ceasefire and a comprehensive peace process for Sudan.

It is time to silence the guns and raise the volume for peace. The best medicine is peace.

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https://www.who.int/director-general...ing-8-may-2024

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WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 10 July 2024

11 July 2024

...
Next to Sudan, which has endured 15 months of conflict, with almost 19,000 people killed and 33,000 injured.

Access to health services continues to be severely constrained due to insecurity and shortages of medicines, medical supplies and health workers.

Almost 15 million people need urgent health assistance, including maternal and newborn care, treatment for cancer, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases, and protection from outbreaks of cholera, measles, malaria, dengue, meningitis, and more.

The risk of famine is growing, with more than half Sudan’s population facing crisis levels of food insecurity, or worse.

WHO has recently distributed 3 metric tons of pre-positioned supplies to meet the critical needs of the population in North Darfur.

We call on both sides to the conflict to facilitate assistance for those in need.

Opening the Adré crossing from Chad into western Darfur is absolutely vital for scaling up assistance.

Access must also be facilitated elsewhere, including to Khartoum, the Kordofan states, and other hotspots.

Renewed fighting has forced even more people to flee. In the past three months, the number of displaced people has increased by more than 45% to 12.7 million, including 10.5 million who are displaced internally, and 2.2 million who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

Their health needs are enormous. In Chad, most arrive after multiple displacements, suffering gunshot wounds, many having survived rape and sexual violence, without sufficient food for months, and having walked for days.

Host communities in Chad have been very hospitable, offering food, water, and shelter for refugees, but the needs are overwhelming.

Last week, WHO experts from our Eastern Mediterranean and African regions conducted a joint mission to Chad to assess the refugee situation and scale-up cross-border operations.

Our priority is to create systems that address immediate medical needs but also strengthen Chad’s health system capacity so the health needs of refugees are not dependent on aid in the long-term.

Despite the increasing health needs in both Chad and Sudan, WHO has only 18% of the funds we need to meet those needs. The international community must do better than that.

Sudan remains a political crisis that can only end with a political solution.

Peace, access, and funding are in desperately short supply, and once again it is the innocent who suffer.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---10-july-2024

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FAMINE REVIEW COMMITTEE:
COMBINED REVIEW OF: (i) THE FAMINE EARLY WARNING
SYSTEM NETWORK (FEWS NET) IPC COMPATIBLE ANALYSIS
FOR IDP CAMPS IN EL FASHER, NORTH DARFUR; AND
(ii) THE IPC SUDAN TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP
ANALYSIS OF ZAMZAM CAMP (NORTH DARFUR), SUDAN

CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

July 2024
...
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Key findings

• After a thorough review of the evidence, the FRC finds it plausible that IPC Phase 5 (Famine) is ongoing
in July 2024 in Zamzam camp near El Fasher town. The FRC concludes that IPC Phase 5 (Famine)
conditions will continue into the August to end of October projection period.
• While uncertainty remains, the FRC finds that the likelihood of famine remains high in Zamzam camp
after October and that many other areas throughout Sudan remain at risk of Famine as long as the
conflict and limited humanitarian access continue.
• The FRC highlights that similar conditions are likely prevailing in other IDP sites in the El Fasher area,
notably in Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps and underlines the urgent requirement to assess the
presence and size of populations in these areas along with their food security, nutrition, and health
conditions as soon as possible.
...
4. CONCLUSIONS FOR THE CURRENT PERIOD (JULY 2024)

On acute malnutrition and mortality, the outcome
data used by the FRC came from the MSF/Epicentre
assessment conducted in January 2024 in Zamzam
camp. Quality checks done on MUAC data revealed
plausible measurements. GAM by MUAC was at 23.1
percent already exceeding the IPC Phase 4/5 threshold,
and by MFAZ at 33.7 percent. The FRC concluded that
it is plausible that the GAM by WHZ was also above 30
percent at this time, even with remittances and social
safety nets.

Similarly, for non-trauma mortality, CDR was already
very close to the Famine threshold in January (1.9
deaths/10,000 people/day. Since that time, there has
been an increase in the risk factors for non-trauma
mortality. With all these factors contributing to worse
situation since January, and especially since April/
May when violence escalated and access routes were
largely blocked leading to a near collapse of the health
care system, the FRC concludes that mortality has
crossed the Famine thresholds.

While no direct quantitative evidence is available
on the food security outcome indicators in Zamzam
camp, the whole body of evidence on the food security
situation, including contributing factors on food
availability, access, utilisation and stability converge
towards a severe situation. Given the ongoing lean
season, and lack of stocks, food availability is extremely
limited during the current period of analysis. Access is
largely impeded due to insecurity for both commercial
and humanitarian actors; no humanitarian food
assistance has been distributed in the Zamzam camp
since April 2024. In Zamzam camp, the markets remain
the main source of food for IDPs, though these are
functioning only intermittently. Even if access to the El
Fasher markets is still possible, the commercial trade
in the whole locality is disrupted compounded by
soaring prices. The labour-to-sorghum terms-of-trade
continue to decline, limiting the purchasing power
of the IDPs. Livelihoods and assets are considered
to be nearly depleted or largely disrupted. Access to
cash via remittances or money transfer system are
not expected to significantly mitigate the situation
considering connectivity disruptions. Asset loss and
growing inability to cope suggest that the high levels
of acute food insecurity are converging towards IPC
Phase 5 (Famine) conditions.

Zamzam camp. For the current period of analysis,
July 2024, considering the nutrition and mortality
thresholds are expected to meet or surpass the
threshold for IPC Phase 5 (Famine) conditions, and
also considering the convergence of the food security
contributing factors. The FRC it plausible that Famine
(IPC Phase 5) is ongoing with reasonable evidence.

Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps. The FRC accepts
the logic of FEWS NET’s inclusion of Abu Shouk and Al
Salam camps in their findings, though due to a lack of
outcome data and some uncertainty about population
status and size, the FRC recommends not to classify
these areas; though highlights the high likelihood of
similar conditions prevailing in other IDP sites in the
El Fasher area.

https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Famine_Review_Committee_Report_Sudan_July2024.pdf

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World cannot continue to turn blind eye to Sudan as man-made famine is confirmed in Darfur camp.

Format News and Press Release Sources Acción contra el Hambre CAFODConcern14 more Posted 3 Aug 2024 Originally published 2 Aug 2024
...
August 2, 2024, Port Sudan - The recently published report by the Famine Review Committee has confirmed our worst fears: a man-made famine has taken hold of one of Darfur's largest displacement sites: Zamzam camp near Al Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur. Over recent months, conflict spiralled in the state and drove an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people fleeing to Zamzam, bringing the total population of the camp to over half a million. The camp’s residents are now trapped in deprivation, unable to leave, farm or access food. Critically, they have been deprived from the aid they so desperately need.

Over 25 million people across Sudan are now facing severe acute food insecurity, with over 8.5 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and 755,000 in IPC Phase 5. The humanitarian community has been warning for months that people, especially children, are dying due to hunger-related causes across Sudan, including in Zamzam. The confirmation of famine conditions in Zamzam camp only scratches the surface of a much broader catastrophe. Across Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Al Jazira, our teams and local responders report stories of children dying of malnutrition, mothers barely surviving on one meal a day, eating boiled leaves and a handful of cereals. In Kalma camp, South Darfur, NGOs reported that 1 in every 4 children under 5 was acutely malnourished with some health facilities in the state reporting that between 4 to 5 children die each day from malnutrition related causes. In Central Darfur, in some areas over 90% of children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition. The situation in Zamzam is the only one that the IPC could independently verify, but the lack of data hides the true extent of this crisis. If nothing changes, countless other communities across Sudan will starve to death amidst the world’s indifference.

The conduct of the conflict parties is largely responsible for this historical crisis. Over the past 15 months of unabated conflict, blatant violations of international humanitarian law such as the shattering of essential infrastructure, the destruction of means of livelihood, and widespread obstructions of the delivery of humanitarian assistance have led to mass-scale starvation. Across entire areas of Khartoum, Al Jazira, Kordofan and Darfur, communities are receiving only a trickle of assistance due to conflict parties’ refusal to allow aid at the scale and speed that is needed, through the appropriate corridors, and with the necessary safety guarantees. Complex approval processes mean that life saving food and nutrition commodities can take months to reach those most in need as medical supplies have been actively blocked from entering El Fasher by the warring parties.

At the same time, the international community has been unbearably slow to prevent a tragedy we knew was coming for months. The general apathy towards the suffering of the people of Sudan and lack of urgency in the humanitarian response have only exacerbated the situation. Seven months into the year the response has not even received a third of funding required to address the population’s urgent needs and efficient modalities such as cash programming and support to local responders are still not receiving the investments necessary to bring the response to the scale required by the colossal needs

It is our collective responsibility to bring an end to this crisis. We call for the urgent roll out of the recommendations made by the Famine Review Committee, and emphasise;
...

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/world-cannot-continue-turn-blind-eye-sudan-man-made-famine-confirmed-darfur-camp

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Famine Review Committee Confirms Famine in Sudan’s Zamzam IDP Camp

Home News & Information Press Releases Famine Review Committee Confirms Famine in Sudan’s Zamzam IDP Camp

For Immediate Release

Office of Press Relations
press@usaid.gov

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Statement by Administrator Samantha Power

Three years ago, I visited Zamzam, the largest camp in Sudan for internally displaced people. Zamzam, which sits on the outskirts of El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, is home for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Sudanese people – some of whom have been displaced there for more than two decades. The people I spoke to in 2021 expressed hope that under the civilian-led transitional government, conflict in Sudan might finally be coming to an end. Several of the residents I spoke with had pooled their money together for the nine-hour bus ride to Khartoum to join the protests that toppled Omar al-Bashir’s dictatorship.

Today, hope has given way to horror, with independent experts from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system, or IPC, confirming that Famine has been ongoing inside the camp for more than a month.

This is entirely a man-made famine. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated Sudan’s economy, driven more than 10 million people from their homes, and prevented humanitarian agencies from reaching starving populations. RSF’s ongoing siege of El Fasher has trapped civilians in Zamzam, and both the SAF and RSF – enabled by external patrons – are using starvation as a weapon of war, actively preventing food, including life-saving emergency nutritional supplements, from reaching people in need.

The suffering is not limited to Zamzam alone. Millions across Sudan are on the verge of starvation. More than 90 percent of children screened by humanitarian organizations across Central Darfur – more than four thousand children in five locations – are experiencing some form of acute malnutrition. At one health facility in South Darfur State’s Al Radoum locality, local health workers report that four to five children are dying each day from malnutrition.

The United States continues to demand that the SAF and RSF enable full and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the country to allow brave local and international humanitarian workers to surge assistance and prevent famine conditions from taking hold across wider swaths of the country. The parties to this conflict must return to the negotiating table this month in Switzerland and take immediate steps – including reopening the Adre border crossing from Chad and facilitating cross-line humanitarian access – to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

SAMANTHA POWER

https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/aug-01-2024-famine-review-committee-confirms-famine-sudans-zamzam-idp-camp

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Translation Google

August 5, 2024

Sudan: Medical supplies blocked, only two weeks of therapeutic food

In Zamzam camp in North Darfur, there is only two more weeks of therapeutic food left to treat malnourished children as three of our trucks loaded with life-saving medical supplies – including therapeutic food for malnutrition – have been blocked in Kabkabiya town for over a month by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Our teams have been forced to limit the number of children who can receive this treatment because the RSF has blocked supply trucks . Without treatment, children with severe malnutrition are at risk of dying within three to six weeks . In our field hospital in Zamzam , the bed occupancy rate in the malnutrition ward is 126% , indicating that many children are already in critical condition .

MSF calls on all parties to the conflict to facilitate the entry and passage of humanitarian aid across Sudan's borders and front lines . Deliberately obstructing or delaying the arrival of humanitarian aid puts the lives of thousands of children at risk, who cannot receive life-saving care.

https://www.medicisenzafrontiere.it/news-e-storie/news/sudan-forniture-mediche-bloccate-cibo-terapeutico-solo-per-due-settimane/

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Sudan: OCHA appeals to Security Council for urgent action to fight famine

Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria by Edem Wosornu, Director, Operations and Advocacy for OCHA, on behalf of Joyce Msuya, acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

Thank you, Mr. President.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains an absolute catastrophe.

A staggering 26 million people are in acute hunger. That’s the equivalent of New York City times three – full of starving families and malnourished children.

More than 10 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, hunger and deprivation.

This includes 726,000 people displaced within and from Sennar State, south-east of the country, since 25 June following the Rapid Support Forces’ advance into the state. That’s three quarters of a million people displaced – in just six weeks.

Sudan’s health care system has collapsed. Two-thirds of the population cannot go to a hospital or see a doctor.

Heavy rains have flooded residential neighbourhoods and displacement sites in recent weeks – including in Kassala and North Darfur – increasing the risk of cholera and waterborne diseases.

An entire generation of children is missing out on a second straight year of their education.

Khartoum – the capital of Sudan, once the beating heart of the country – is in ruins.

Mr. President,

As you will hear from my colleague from the World Food Programme, our worst fears were confirmed last week: The Famine Review Committee concluded that famine conditions are present in Zamzam camp, close to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

This is the same camp that Médecins Sans Frontières warned about six months ago, where one child was dying every two hours from malnutrition.

The Famine Review Committee also found that famine conditions are also likely present in other displacement camps in and around the city.

This announcement should stop all of us cold.

Because when famine happens, it means we are too late. It means we did not do enough.

It means that we, the international community, have failed.

This is an entirely man-made crisis – and a shameful stain on our collective conscience.

Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Council,

Hunger is not the only threat people are facing.

480 days of conflict have pushed millions of civilians into a quagmire of violence – and with it, death, injury and inhumane treatment. The conflict has also destroyed the essential infrastructure civilians need to survive.

We have grave concerns about war crimes being committed throughout this conflict.

The women and girls of Sudan continue to be exposed to the worst of the parties’ conduct.

Since our last briefing, new reports have revealed horrific levels of conflict-related sexual violence in Khartoum, targeting girls as young as nine years old.

Access to emergency health care and gender-based violence services is shrinking. Suicide rates among survivors increasing. The number of children born out of rape surging.

Mr. President,

The humanitarian community in Sudan continues to work against the odds to deliver life-saving assistance to civilians in need.

Heeding the warning signs that we have consistently shared with this Council, we launched a plan in April to mount a significantly integrated response in hunger hotspots across the country – spanning food assistance, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene.

We are expanding our operational footprint in areas where food insecurity is most acute and working more with local partners – the heroes of this response – including women-led organizations and community-led initiatives, who are at the forefront of response efforts in their areas.

We are exploring every possible avenue to reach affected communities, including through airlifts. As a first step, we do need the necessary permissions to assess relevant airstrips.

We are scaling up cash assistance in areas where markets are functioning. More than $100 million in cash and voucher assistance is planned for distribution before the end of the year.

And we are delivering seeds and other inputs to support farmers – because while people have been able to plant in some areas, insecurity and conflict are preventing many other communities from engaging in agricultural activities.

According to our colleagues from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, more than 1,500 metric tons of sorghum seeds have reached or are en route to South, Central and East Darfur to support over 150,000 farmers. This represents only 24 per cent of the 642,000 farmers originally targeted in Darfur and Kordofan before the planting season ends in August.

Since May, I am pleased to note humanitarian partners have reached 2.5 million people in IPC 4 and 5 areas, including 1.8 million people with food security and livelihoods assistance, 800,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene support and 237,000 people with healthcare.

Mr. President,

In short, we are pushing from every possible angle to stop this catastrophe from getting worse.

But we cannot go very far without the access and resources we need.

Aid workers in Sudan continue to be harassed, attacked and even killed. Convoys of life-saving supplies such as food and medicine, as well as fuel, have been subjected to looting and extortion. And this of course must stop.

Obstructions are widespread. In just one example, three trucks carrying therapeutic food have been blocked by the Rapid Support Forces for over a month in Kabkabiya, west of El Fasher – depriving malnourished children in Zamzam camp of assistance they desperately need to survive.

The recent escalation in Sennar has further cut off the southern route – which used to be our main crossline route for humanitarian aid from Port Sudan to Kordofan and Darfur.

Meanwhile, access via the northern route – through Ad Dabbah – has been intermittent due to active conflict, insecurity, obstruction and delayed permissions.

Life-saving supplies in Port Sudan are ready to be loaded and dispatched to Zamzam, including essential medicines, nutritional supplies, water purification tablets and soap. It is crucial that the approvals and security assurances needed are not delayed.

Relief supplies for people in Zamzam are also readily available in eastern Chad. But heavy rains have flooded the Tine crossing – the only cross-border route that we are currently permitted to use between eastern Chad and Darfur after the Sudanese authorities revoked permission for the use of the Adre crossing in February this year. As a result, we simply cannot move the large volume of supplies required to save lives and fight back famine.

The Adre crossing, with its tarmac roads and shorter distance, would be the most effective route and would allow assistance to be delivered at the speed and scale required at this crucial, critical point.

Assistance delayed is assistance denied for the many Sudanese civilians who are literally dying of hunger during the time it takes for clearances to come through, permits to be granted, and floodwaters to subside.

Meanwhile, the Sudan humanitarian appeal is just 32 per cent funded – having received $874 million out of the $2.7 billion needed.

We are more than seven months into the year. How can we possibly mitigate this humanitarian situation – let alone fight back famine – without adequate support?

Mr. President,

On 20 of March of this year, we assumed our responsibilities under Resolution 2417 and warned this Council about the risk of famine and widespread [food] insecurity due to the conflict in Sudan.

We have continued to sound the alarm at every one of the six briefings we have given since then.

Let me be clear: It is still possible to stop this freight train of suffering that is charging through Sudan. But only if we respond with the urgency that this moment demands.

So allow me to reiterate our four main asks – which you also heard from us back in March:

One, the conflict must stop. Silencing the guns will bring immediate relief to the civilian population and allow for the rapid delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country.

Two, so long as the fighting continues, the parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Those who commit serious violations – including sexual violence – which I stated earlier, must be held accountable.

Third – and in line with international humanitarian law – we need rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan, through all possible routes. Given the massive hunger crisis unfolding in North Darfur and other parts of the country, we need to reach people now – across borders, across battle lines, by air, by land.

And fourth, we need more resources– and we need them now. If we do not receive adequate funding for the aid operation – including flexible funding that can better enable the work of local partners – the response will grind to a halt.

If we had these four things, the picture in Sudan – including Zamzam camp – would be different, very different.

Mr. President,

In the 15 times we have briefed this Council on Sudan since April last year, we have used many words to describe this crisis.

But the people of Sudan desperately need and deserve more than our words.

They need this Council, they need all Member States, they need the wider international community, to act – and to pull Sudan back from this abyss.

Thank you.

Posted on 6 August 2024

https://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-ocha-appeals-security-council-urgent-action-fight-famine