The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered a grim assessment today, characterizing the health conditions in Sudan as a “perfect storm” fueled by imminent hunger and widespread disease.
Growing concerns surround the approaching lean season, heightening fears of devastating hunger in vulnerable regions.
During a media briefing in Geneva on Wednesday, Peter Graaff, WHO’s Acting Representative in Sudan, emphasized that the ongoing crisis is exacerbated by the symbiotic relationship between malnutrition and disease.
Malnourished individuals, particularly children and pregnant women, face heightened risks of severe and potentially fatal consequences from illnesses such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles.
The risk is magnified when access to basic healthcare is limited, Graaff explained.
Graaff stressed that “The situation in Sudan was a perfect storm as the health system was hardly functional, as the childhood immunization programme was breaking down and infectious diseases were spreading”.
Infectious diseases are running rampant, with reported cases exceeding 10,000 for cholera, 5,000 for measles, 8,000 for dengue, and a staggering 1.2 million for malaria.
Sudan now grapples with the world’s most significant displacement crisis, forcing eight million people to flee their homes. Graaff, who witnessed the dire conditions firsthand in Sudan and Chad, described overcrowded shelters with inadequate access to essentials like water, sanitation, food, and healthcare.
The humanitarian crisis looms large, with 25 million Sudanese in need of assistance, 18 million facing acute hunger, and 5 million teetering on the brink of starvation.
