Sudan: UN urges urgent action as disease, hunger escalate
November 23, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said scaled up humanitarian and development efforts are urgently needed to avert escalating diseases, displacement and hunger putting millions at risk in war-torn Sudan.
The conflict, the agency said as the conflict enters its seventh month, is dramatically worsening Sudan’s already dire Human Development outlook, taking a massive toll on human lives, livelihoods, public infrastructure, and basic services.
“Sudan’s economy is expected to shrink by 12 percent in 2023 due to halted production, a loss in human capital and state capacity,” it stated.
Cholera outbreaks have been declared in around the country, including in states hosting significant numbers of people displaced by the conflict while an estimated 3.1 million people are reportedly at risk of contracting the acute watery diarrhoea and cholera by December.
“As each day of the conflict progresses, the impact on the people of Sudan deepens and the cost of inaction rises. Urgent action is needed right now to stem the escalating humanitarian catastrophe, protect peoples’ dignity and lay the foundation for a path to recovery,” said UNDP Resident Representative Yuri Afanasiev.
Recognising that greater investment in development in the acute phase of a crisis can help mitigate a deeper humanitarian catastrophe, UNDP pivoted its existing programmes to respond to emerging life sustaining and conflict resilience needs when conflict broke out in April.
Focusing on providing access to energy, clean water, restoring healthcare facilities, providing essential medicines and supporting farmers to maintain their crops, UNDP’s Sudan Crisis Offer is designed to complement humanitarian life-saving efforts with life-sustaining support.
UNDP is also currently undertaking a socioeconomic impact analysis, which will help define the scale of devastation wrought across the country since April.
The analysis, the agency stressed, will also inform recovery planning for critical infrastructure and the creation of livelihoods towards improved access to basic services.
According to the UN, nearly 5 million people have been internally displaced and 1.3 million have crossed borders seeking safety, putting immense pressure on host communities. In addition, 20 million people are facing hunger, with over 6 million a step away from famine.
(ST)