“The needs are enormous in Sudan – we are talking about people dying of hunger, we have conflict, we have protection issues, we have displacement on a daily basis – the needs are just enormous,” and several weeks of heavy rains are exacerbating the situation, said Kristine Hambrouck, country representative for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).UNHCR).
In addition to cholera, famine “continues” in the Zamzam camp, near the town of El Fasher, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
So far, they have been reported 658 cases of cholera since the last outbreak was declared on August 12, with 28 deathsThe last outbreak, recorded in May, resulted in more than 11,300 cases and at least 300 deaths.
The WHO underlined the gravity of the humanitarian situation, detailing that at least 12 of Sudan’s 18 states are now facing Three or more outbreaks of cholera, plus malaria, measles or dengue.
Despite the urgent need for life-saving health interventions, the UN health agency said local resources and capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks remain limited, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as Darfur and Kordofan regions.
Cholera spreads among displaced people and refugees
Meanwhile, Hambrouck warned that cholera is spreading in areas hosting internally displaced people uprooted by violence and those from other countries, particularly in the states of Kassala, Gedaref and Jazirah.
“We have observed a fairly high number of cholera cases in Kassala; Kassala is an important area for us, hosting a large number of refugees, but also internally displaced persons. So far, we have 119 cases of cholera in three refugee sites in Kassala and Five refugees have died unfortunately because of the illness.”
The UNHCR official highlighted the difficulty of trying to cope with this latest emergency in Sudan, where fighting between rival militaries broke out in April 2023 over disagreements over a proposed transition to civilian rule, following the 2021 military coup and the 2019 overthrow of President Omar Al-Bashir.
“This is just one more of the challenges that we somehow have to reprioritize and make sure that investments are made,” he said, stressing that in refugee camps and displacement sites, “people live on top of each other”“They are massively overcrowded with movements of Sudanese and also refugees from Khartoum, Wad Madani and Darfur to Kassala,” he explained.
He added that all these areas are extremely overpopulated and the existing water supply systems are not capable of responding, “massive investments are needed,” he insisted.
People affected by floods in Sudan collect materials to build shelters.
Vaccine success
An initial vaccination campaign has successfully protected more than 50,000 people from cholera, and hundreds of thousands more doses are on the way.
“The vaccination campaign has already started and we have used the 51,000 doses that were already in the country,” said Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO representative in Sudan. Speaking from Port Sudan, he confirmed that the inoculation campaign concluded on Thursday in Kassala state.
“Our goal was to reach 97% of the target population,” he said, adding that the UN agency has obtained approval to purchase an additional 455,000 doses of cholera vaccines, “which is good news in the midst of this horrible crisis.”
Elsewhere, access issues have continued to disrupt the humanitarian response. “We still face some obstacles and challenges, either because there is a lack of communication between decision-makers and those on the ground, or because of other issues. Of course, this is on top of other challenges due to flooding and the quality of roads,” added Dr Sahbani.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the 15 trucks that crossed into Sudan from Chad at the Adre border crossing earlier this week were “a step in the right direction.”
However, transport conditions remain difficult due to the rainy season, according to OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke, who stressed the importance of ensuring that aid trucks can continue to pass through “and ensure a steady flow of food, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency medical supplies to the population in more than a dozen areas at risk of famine.”
Seeds of hope
Among the supplies being transported to Darfur are vital agricultural products, including seeds, the OCHA spokesperson said. “This is an important point, because they need to plant before the rainy season ends. Boosting food production in Sudan is one of the most effective ways to address the overwhelming hunger crisiswhich is only getting worse after more than 16 months of conflict.”
Since the start of the conflict in Sudan, more than 10.3 million people have been forced from their homes within Sudan or in neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR.
Laerke stressed that The humanitarian situation and funding levels for the life-saving response were “already precarious” before the latest cholera outbreakand that immediate funding is needed to support an expansion of cholera treatment centres and other health facilities, additional health personnel and increased stocks of intravenous fluids and medicines.
Unfunded response plan
Of the $1.5 billion requested by UNHCR and other partners for the Regional Refugee Response Plan to provide assistance in countries bordering Sudan, only 22% has been received. The inter-agency response inside Sudan is only 37% funded.
“I think funding levels are extremely tight and do not allow us to meet all the needs, both in Sudan and across the border. So this requires an international effort to make sure that we at least stabilise this cholera situation,” said the UNHCR representative.
Add Comment