reliefweb - 16 days ago

Countries: Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan Sources: Health Cluster, World Health Organization Please refer to the attached file. SUMMARY OF CRISIS AND KEY FINDINGS Over 500 days have passed since the escalation of the conflict in Sudan. Humanitarian needs across Sudan are at record highs, with 24.8 million people, or every second person, needing humanitarian assistance in 2024. This is nine million more than in 2023. People have been forced to flee their homes due to the dire humanitarian situation and the destruction of essential infrastructure, such as roads, hospitals, medical facilities, and schools, as well as power, water, and communications services. According to humanitarian partners, more than 18 800 people have been killed and over 33 000 injured since the conflict broke out in April 2023. The true toll is likely far greater. Most civilian deaths have been the result of the use of heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, with women and children constituting a significant proportion of the casualties reported. An estimated 10.7 million people (2.1 million families) are now internally displaced in Sudan. More than half of those internally displaced – 55% – are children under the age of 18 years and they have endured more than a year of separation, human rights violations, trauma, violence, and lack of access to basic services. Sudan’s people are already struggling to access the lifesaving care they need. While half of the population need humanitarian assistance, nearly 15 million people require urgent health assistance for their survival. As of June 2024, about 80% of hospitals in the most conflict-affected areas and 45% of health facilities in five states are not functional, and the remaining ones are overwhelmed with people seeking care. Though healthcare should never be a target of war, attacks on healthcare are ongoing. Since the war erupted in April 2023, over 100 attacks on healthcare have been verified, resulting in 183 deaths and 125 injuries. Disease outbreaks are increasing in the face of disruptions of basic public health services, including vaccination, disease surveillance, functions of public health laboratories and rapid response teams. Outbreaks, including cholera, measles, malaria, poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and dengue fever, are ongoing in several states. Sudan is home to 42% of the total zero-dose children in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. 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. Sudan is also facing a hunger catastrophe at a scale not seen since the Darfur crisis in the early 2000s, with the most severe conditions found in areas heavily affected by fighting and where conflict-displaced people have congregated. Deaths due to malnutrition-related medical complications occur increasingly regularly. Camp leaders in Zalingei, Central Darfur, informed a UN team visiting in July 2024 that some internally displaced people survive on tree leaves, grain husks, and ground nut remnants. Governments from 15 nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Nigeria, united in a declaration expressing deep concern over the escalating food security crisis in Sudan, concluding that “after fourteen months of conflict, Sudan is facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country.” A stark and rapid deterioration of the food security situation has been reported since the last Public Health Situation Analysis, with 54% of the population (25.6 million) in the country is classified as IPC 3 or above. This includes 755 000 people (2% of the population) categorized as IPC 5 (Catastrophe). Furthermore, famine conditions are confirmed to be prevalent in parts of North Darfur, notably the Zamzam IDP camp, south of El Fasher. On top of these emergencies, Sudan has not been exempted from effects of climate change, such as widespread flooding. Between 1 June and 26 August 2024, Sudan experienced 77 incidents of heavy rains and flooding, leading to multiple episodes of sudden displacement across the country. Approximately 136 455 individuals (27 291 households) have been newly displaced across 14 states. The floods have caused partial or total destruction of about 8932 structures. Notably, around 47% of those displaced by the floods were already displaced due to ongoing conflict. Delivering humanitarian aid, including essential health kits, to address acute need remains challenging due to limited access to hard-to-reach areas through the Adre border in Chad. The limited access, coupled with an ongoing conflict, rainy season and flood and subsequent population movement make it difficult to address the risks covered in this Public Health Situation Analysis.

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