Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sudan Humanitarian Children topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
U.N. warns Sudan’s children face acute protection gaps as cholera and measles spread
Summary
U.N. agencies say children account for half of those needing aid in Sudan and that child-protection work is underfunded; the briefing also noted ongoing cholera and measles outbreaks and a vaccination campaign in Khartoum.
The United Nations said children in Sudan face urgent protection needs amid widespread humanitarian need, severe funding shortfalls and concurrent disease outbreaks.
U.N. officials told a press briefing that children make up half of the roughly 30 million people needing humanitarian assistance in Sudan and half of the 12 million people displaced since April 2023. The spokesperson said child-protection services have reached fewer than 18% of children in need this year and that partners working on child protection reported their work was about 3% funded, with an estimated $88 million gap from what is needed.
Health crises: The briefing said the federal Ministry of Health has reported more than 80,000 suspected cholera cases and over 2,000 deaths since the outbreak began last July, including almost 7,300 suspected cases and more than 200 deaths among children under 5. In the past month, approximately 15,000 suspected cholera cases were recorded in Khartoum state; U.N. partners cautioned that underreporting likely masks the full scale.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF supported a 10-day oral cholera vaccination campaign launched in Khartoum state on June 10, aiming to reach 2,600,000 people aged 1 year and older. The U.N. also reported more than 2,200 suspected measles cases this year with five deaths and said more than 60% of suspected measles cases involve children under 5.
Why it matters: The spokesperson said humanitarian partners continue to support the response led by Sudanese health authorities but that severe shortages of vaccines, supplies and trained personnel — coupled with gaps in data — hamper relief efforts. The U.N. called for unhindered humanitarian access and an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict-affected areas to scale up lifesaving support for children and civilians.
Ending note: U.N. officials emphasized the need for increased funding and access to protect children and curb outbreaks, and urged member states and partners to facilitate humanitarian operations.
