The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF warned that more than one million children in Sudan’s Khartoum state are at risk amid a surge in cholera and other disease outbreaks in areas ravaged by conflict and displacement.
Health authorities have reported more than 7,700 cases of cholera in Khartoum since January, including more than 1,000 in children under five. At least 185 deaths linked to the disease have been recorded.
“We are racing against time with our partners to provide essential healthcare, clean water, good nutrition and other life-saving services for the children who are among the most vulnerable to deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition,” said UNICEF Representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, in a statement.
“Every day that passes puts more children at risk from this dual threat,” he added. “Both cholera and malnutrition are preventable and treatable if we can reach children in time.”
According to the statement, more than 3 million people have been displaced from their homes in Khartoum state alone, with millions more affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
