Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said that the spread of fighting and hunger in Sudan could destroy the country, as the future of a “lost generation” of children lies in the balance.
Mr. Griffiths said that the conflict spelled trauma for Sudan’s youth and cited “deeply disturbing” reports that some children were being used in the fighting.
He also warned that hundreds of thousands of children in the country were severely malnourished and “at imminent risk of death” if left untreated. Those children were particularly vulnerable to disease outbreaks, while access to medical treatment was lacking.
A “staggering” 67 per cent of all main hospitals in areas affected by the fighting were already out of service as of 31 May, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said. Only 29 hospitals were operating fully or partially and were at risk of closure due to shortages of medical staff, supplies, water and electricity.
Mr. Griffiths stated that the conflict had simply “decimated” Sudan’s health care sector.
The UN health agency warned that critical services, including maternal and child health care and management of severe acute malnutrition, have been discontinued in many areas. WHO noted the high prevalence of wasting and stunting among children, and said that cases of dengue, measles and acute watery diarrhoea were being reported across the country.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joined other UN humanitarians in sounding the alarm over the future of the country’s youth, saying that “the lethal combination of measles, malnutrition and displacement is putting lives of children at a very high risk if urgent action is not taken”.
According to UNICEF, at least two million children have been forced from their homes since the start of the conflict just over four months ago. The UN agency also deplored that as the conflict dragged on, an entire generation of young Sudanese was likely to miss out on education.
