“The nutrition situation in Sudan is one of the worst in the world, no planting last year means no food today, no planting today means no food tomorrow, the cycle of hunger is getting worse and worse with no end in sight”, said Save the Children (UK) organisation.
Khartoum: Altaghyeer
Nearly 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers could die in the coming months due to hunger unless urgent, life-saving funding is released to respond to the massive and worsening crisis in Sudan, Save the Children (UK) said.
The organisation said on Wednesday that more than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished and an additional 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most dangerous and deadly form of extreme hunger.
More than 7,000 new mothers are likely to die in coming months if their nutritional and health needs remain unmet, Save the Children said.
The organisation said “without addressing the funding gap, about 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from malnutrition this year and face severe health complications during and after delivery.”
Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, Dr. Arif Noor, said“the nutrition situation in Sudan is one of the worst in the world. No planting last year means no food today. No planting today means no food tomorrow. The cycle of hunger is getting worse and worse with no end in sight – only more misery.”
The organisation called on the international community to commit the funding and resources to prepare for a large-scale response to meet critical needs both in Sudan and in neighbouring countries. It also called for an end to the conflict and unhindered humanitarian access.
The United Nations said sbout half of the Sudan’s population– including 14 million children– need humanitarian assistance.
The World Food Program said on Sunday nearly 18 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger and nearly 5 million of them are in emergency levels of hunger; the highest number ever recorded during the harvest season.
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