LONDON: Millions of civilians are facing a crisis with few historical precedents as Sudan’s health system collapses under the combined weight of sickness, starvation, violence, and displacement following more than 1,000 days of conflict.
UN agencies now refer to what started out as a power battle between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces as the biggest humanitarian and health crises in history.
The World Health Organization estimates that 33.7 million Sudanese, or nearly two-thirds of the country’s population, will require humanitarian relief this year, while more than 20 million currently need medical support. Acute food insecurity affects at least 21 million people, and famine has already been confirmed in some areas of South Kordofan and North Darfur.
The WHO’s representative in Sudan, Dr. Shible Sahbani, stated in a statement that the country’s health system is on the verge of collapse due to a thousand days of conflict. “People face a devastating situation under the strain of disease, hunger, and a lack of access to basic services.”
The health system has rapidly and severely deteriorated. WHO has confirmed 201 attacks on healthcare facilities since the war started in April 2023, with 1,858 fatalities and 490 wounded. Millions of people are deprived of vital and life-saving care because more than one-third of health institutions in the country 37 percent are currently non-operational.
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