IRC warns of the consequences of continued fighting on displaced persons

Moatinoon
The International Rescue Committee called for an end to hostilities and the lifting of all barriers to the populations access to humanitarian assistance, as well as additional donor support to strengthen ongoing response efforts in Island State and throughout the Sudan, with a focus on addressing the unfolding health and malnutrition crisis.

The Committee warned of the consequences of continued violence on displaced persons health conditions. In a statement today, it said that poor conditions and limited access to health-care services for displaced persons had led to a sharp increase in cholera and severe malnutrition recorded in a number of localities within the islands state.

Mohamed Mahdi, Deputy Director of Programmes at the Commission in the Sudan, said: "We have noted a worrying increase in acute malnutrition in Wade Madani, East Madani and Kamlin localities in Al Jazeera State. IRC-backed health facilities in the island state reported a 31.65% increase in cases from September to October, highlighting the urgent need for intervention. The sudden increase was due to inadequate food supplies to IDPs and host populations, further exacerbating the public health crisis resulting from the ongoing conflict. Severe violence in various regions of the Sudan has disrupted agricultural activities, displaced communities and impeded food production and distribution. Inadequate infrastructure, including roads and storage facilities, makes it difficult to transport and store food and nutrition supplies, thereby disrupting the supply chain. The shortage of feeding centres throughout the island state has strained the capacity of existing facilities, particularly in the town of Madani, where the family capacity of the 314 feeding centre is insufficient to meet increased demand. "

Since Sudan declared an outbreak of cholera in Gedaref State on September 26, nearly 3,000 suspected cholera cases and 95 related deaths have been reported in the states of Gedaref, Southern Kordofan, Kassala, Khartoum, Al Jazeera and Sennar and more than 3.1 million people are estimated to be at risk. As more than 24 million people in the Sudan face hunger, the International Rescue Committee urges all parties to the conflict to fulfil their recent commitments to facilitate unhindered humanitarian assistance. The world is witnessing extreme brutality in the Sudan, particularly in Darfur and Khartoum; All parties to the conflict must abide by international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.