Unveiling The Sufferings Of Nations

Sudan 🇸🇩

A health system on the brink of collapse

The conflict in Sudan has decimated the country’s public infrastructure, including the health system. The health care system is suffering from an acute lack of staff, funding and medical supplies in addition to repeated attacks, looting and occupation of medical facilities and hospitals. More than 70 percent of health facilities in conflict-affected regions of Sudan are inoperable or closed.

The displacement of civilians has placed an additional strain on health care resources, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. An outbreak of measles has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 children across Sudan. The country is also grappling with a severe cholera outbreak, with the number of suspected cases surpassing 8,500 in December 2023, having increased by 94% over the past month. With high rates of malnutrition, a debilitated health system and low levels of immunization, disease outbreaks will continue to have catastrophic impacts, particularly for children.

Economic crisis exacerbates widespread poverty

Prior to the outbreak of conflict, Sudan’s economy was marred by rampant inflation and shortages of essential goods, leading to protests across the country. Now, conflict has worsened the economic crisis.

Nearly half of Sudan’s population is unemployed while the Sudanese pound has lost at least 50 percent of its value. In Khartoum, factories, banks, shops and markets have been looted or damaged, further reducing the population’s access to goods, services and cash. Meanwhile, rampant inflation is set to persist in 2024, even in the unlikely scenario of a lasting ceasefire.

Children are at particular risk in Sudan. At least 10,400 schools in conflict-affected areas are shuttered, leaving an estimated 19 million children without education and at risk of abuse or exploitation.

17.7 million people face food insecurity

Sudan is facing extreme levels of food insecurity, with 17.7 million people—37% of the population—experiencing crisis (IPC 3) or worse levels. At crisis levels of food insecurity, families adopt negative coping strategies, like selling their possessions or marrying off their children, to secure enough food to meet their basic needs. At more extreme levels of food insecurity, hunger and starvation are a daily occurrence.

The displacement stemming from Sudan’s conflict is driving labor shortages throughout the country. The cost of fuel is rising, impacting agricultural production, while high food prices and low purchasing power are driving increased humanitarian needs. Shortcomings in Sudan’s harvest season could push food prices even higher

Accelerated displacement throughout Sudan

9.6 million
The number of internally displaced people within Sudan has surpassed 9.6 million. Over 5.9 million have been internally displaced by the ongoing war in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan has already led to extreme levels of displacement, both internally and across Sudan’s borders. The vast majority of those displaced by the current conflict, 5.9 million, remain in Sudan and live with host communities. That brings the total number of those internally displaced in Sudan to more than 9.6 million, the largest internal displacement crisis in the world.

Meanwhile, over 1.4 million people—mostly women and children—have fled Sudan to neighboring countries, including 484,000 that have arrived in Chad.  Sudan’s neighbors are now facing both a growing refugee crisis and risk of active conflict spilling over their borders. There is significant potential for the crisis in Sudan to develop into a regional one that engulfs multiple countries and drives catastrophic levels of need.

How is the IRC helping in Sudan?

The IRC has adapted and scaled up our programming in Sudan to address increased humanitarian needs. We are supporting people who have been displaced internally through economic empowerment services, health and nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs.

The IRC also provides protection and empowerment services for women and children, including for gender-based violence survivors in Blue Nile, Gederaf, Khartoum and South Kordofan states. We have established a response in Aj Jazirah State, an office in Port Sudan, and are launching an emergency response in White Nile state which will deliver cash assistance, safe water, and sanitation and hygiene services to vulnerable communities.

The IRC aims to solidify its presence in new locations, such as the Red Sea and Darfur, to address gaps in humanitarian coverage and expand our programming in response to the enduring humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

How is the IRC helping Sudanese refugees?

Over 1.4 million asylum seekers have sought refuge in neighboring countries since April 2023. The IRC has expanded our critical services to support Sudanese refugees, including in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

More than 484,000 people have crossed the border into Chad which already hosted 400,000 Sudanese refugees prior to the outbreak of conflict in April. Ninety percent of people arriving across the borders are women and children, with one-fifth of young children experiencing acute malnutrition.

“The fact that women and children make up such a large proportion of the new arrivals in Chad is particularly worrying because they are often the most vulnerable groups in conflict situations,” explains IRC Chad country director, Aleksandra Roulet-Cimpric. “Women and children are at greater risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse, and they may also face difficulties accessing basic necessities such as food, water and healthcare.”

In Chad, the IRC is providing drinking water and running mobile health clinics to attend to the vast health needs of the arriving population. In addition to providing immediate relief, the IRC is  working to scale up its support in the areas of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), health, and protection. This includes providing access to safe water and sanitation facilities, as well as promoting good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of disease.

https://www.rescue.org/article/fighting-sudan-what-you-need-know-about-crisis#:~:text=Prior%20to%20the%20outbreak%20of,50%20percent%20of%20its%20value.