Following seven months of fighting in Sudan, there are outbreaks of cholera, measles, malaria and dengue in the country.

An estimated 6.2 million people – about one in eight – have been forced to flee from their homes since the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) started in mid-April, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

About three million of the displaced people are children, the largest child displacement crisis in the world.

The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights OHCHR has also raised concerns about women and girls being abducted, forcibly married and held for ransom.

“Disease outbreaks are increasing due to the disruption of basic public health services, including disease surveillance, functioning public health laboratories and rapid response teams,” said OCHA in its latest update released on Sunday.

“In addition, insecurity, displacement, limited access to medicines, medical supplies, electricity, and water continue to pose enormous challenges to delivering health care across the country.”

No healthcare services

OCHA estimated that 65-70% of the population lacks access to healthcare, while 70-80%  of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are no longer functional. 

Meanwhile, almost 3,000 suspected cases of cholera, including 95 deaths, have been reported from seven states as of 12 November, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). Other disease outbreaks are ongoing in several states, including measles, malaria and dengue.

Almost 3,000 suspected cases of cholera, including 95 deaths, have been reported from seven states by 12 November, according to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Other disease outbreaks are ongoing in several states, including measles, malaria and dengue.

Twenty million people face hunger

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that “over 42% of Sudan’s population – more than 20 million people – face hunger. This is the highest number ever recorded in the country”.

“In addition to conflict, increasing food and fuel prices, the pre-existing economic crisis, protracted displacement, poor harvests and climate shocks, such as floods and droughts, are the main drivers of food insecurity,” reports the WFP, noting that 2023 food prices are 29% higher than last year and 228% higher than two years ago.

UN agencies and NGO partners in the country report that they have only received one-third of the funding that they need to implement the 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan – $856.2 million of the required US$2.6 billion. 

An estimated 18.1 million people need assistance but humanitarian organisations have reached about 4.5 million people with multi-sectoral life-saving assistance and 5.5 million people with livelihood support since the start of the conflict. 

Image Credits: World Food Programme.