'Catastrophic hunger': WHO chief warns of famine and cholera crisis in war-torn Sudan

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has warned that Sudan is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis, with famine already confirmed in parts of the country.

“Sudan is facing a hunger crisis, with famine conditions confirmed in parts of the country. This year alone, over 770,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition,” he wrote on X on Saturday.

He noted that WHO is supporting 142 centres that have treated more than 20,000 severely malnourished children in Sudan this year.

“At the same time, the country is facing a severe cholera outbreak which has spread to all 18 states with more than 105,000 cases and 2,600 deaths,” he added.

“The situation is especially severe in the region of North Darfur, where the city of Al Fasher has been under siege for more than 500 days,” the WHO chief said, calling for the immediate opening of “safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to Al Fasher to meet the mounting health needs and save lives.”

“World’s largest hunger crisis”

The warning comes as fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to devastate the country, particularly in Al Fasher, a city considered the humanitarian hub for all five Darfur states.

Local doctors reported this week that artillery strikes by the RSF killed 18 civilians and wounded more than 100 others in the city, which has been under siege since May 2024.

The UN humanitarian office (OCHA) recently described Sudan as facing “the world’s largest hunger crisis,” with aid deliveries severely constrained by insecurity and access restrictions.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

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Source: TRT