»ÆÉ«ÊÓƵ

KHARTOUM, (March 13, 2024)Ìý– Nearly 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers could die in the coming months due to hunger unless urgent, life-saving funding is released to respond to the massive and worsening crisis in Sudan, »ÆÉ«ÊÓƵsaid.

More than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished. An additional 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most dangerous and deadly form of extreme hunger, according to new figures released by the Nutrition Cluster in Sudan–a partnership of organizations including the UN, Federal Ministry of Health, and NGOs including Save the Children.Ìý

Of these children, more than 109,000 are likely to have medical complications like dehydration, hypothermia and hypoglycemia, which require intensive and specialized care at a hospital to survive.

According to the Cluster, about 222,000 severely malnourished children and more than 7,000 new mothers are likely to die in the coming months if their nutritional and health needs remain unmet. This grim projection is based on the current funding levels for the emergency feeding program in Sudan, which currently only covers 5.5% of the total needs in the country. In contrast, last year's emergency feeding program was 23% funded - still a fraction of the funding required, but substantially more than now.

Without addressing the funding gap, about 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from malnutrition this year and face severe health complications during and after delivery. »ÆÉ«ÊÓƵnutrition experts have reported seeing pregnant women skipping meals and going to bed hungry to allow their children to eat, severely restricting the nutrients available to their growing fetuses and creating grave concerns for the health of these babies when born.

The figures released today reveal a stark deterioration in the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach people in need, with an unprecedented lack of funding and critical lack of access. In just one month, due to increased fighting, the number of areas deemed "hard-to-reach" by the Cluster increased by 71% from 47 in November 2023 to 135 by the end of December.

Destruction of the in-country supply chain for ready-to-use therapeutic foods - critical for treating severely malnourished children – has also severely hampered the aid response to the crisis. In particular, the only manufacturer of the food needed for rehabilitating children and women with severe acute malnutrition is no longer operational after it was destroyed last year during the fighting.Ìý

Since the conflict escalated in April 2023, food production has crashed, imports have stalled, and staple food prices have soared by 45% in under a year. Movement of food across the country, particularly to rural and remote areas where most people live, has also been severely restricted due to conflict, drivingÌý.

Dr. Arif Noor, Country Director for »ÆÉ«ÊÓƵin Sudan, said:

"The nutrition situation – the ability for children and other vulnerable groups to get the food they need in order to grow and survive - in Sudan is one of the worst in the world. No planting last year means no food today. No planting today means no food tomorrow. The cycle of hunger is getting worse and worse with no end in sight – only more misery.

"In December, Al-Jazirah state, once the country's breadbasket, witnessed intense fighting leading to a new wave of displacement with more than half a million people fleeing their homes in search of safety. This has led to an unprecedented disruption of food systems.

"We are seeing massive hunger, suffering and death. And yet, the world looks away. The international community must come together to act and prevent more lives being lost. History will remember this inaction."

Sudan is facing one of the largest unfolding crises globally. About 25 million people – of whom over 14 million are children – need humanitarian assistance and support. That is every second person in Sudan needing assistance to meet their basic needs []

»ÆÉ«ÊÓƵis calling on the international community to commit the funding and resources to prepare for a large-scale response to meet critical needs both in Sudan and in neighboring countries, including to local and national organizations providing a frontline response. The child rights organization is also calling for an end to the conflict and unfettered humanitarian access so that we can provide families and children with life-saving food, health and other vital basic services and supplies.Ìý

»ÆÉ«ÊÓƵhas worked in Sudan since 1983, and currently, »ÆÉ«ÊÓƵis supporting children and their families across Sudan, providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and, food security and livelihoods support. »ÆÉ«ÊÓƵis also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan.

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[1] Sudan Nutrition Cluster Messages, February 26 2024.

[2] FEWSNET: Sudan Food Security Alert: February 1, 2024

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Note to Editors

There are 729,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in Sudan. Of these, 109,000 have medical complications, and 90% of them are likely to die (98,000). The remaining 620,000 children (729,000- 109,000) have severe acute malnutrition with no medical complication, and 20% (124,000) of them are likely to die.

At least 1.2 million women are malnourished in Sudan. Malnourished women have twice the risk of death compared to well-nourished women, according to a recentÌýÌýof scientific studies (2023).ÌýÌý295 maternal deaths per 100 000 livebirths in Sudan. This means at least 7080 malnourished women are likely to die this year. The number of malnourished women likely to die as per UN figure on maternal deaths is multiplied by two as malnourished women in Sudan are twice as likely to die compared to well-nourished women.Ìý Ìý