UNICEF: Malnutrition threatening life of 700,000 children in war-torn Sudan

The lives of at least 700,000 children in Sudan is seriously threatened by the worst form of malnutrition this year, and tens of thousands could die, the United Nations children’s agency has warned.

A 10-month war in Sudan between its armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompted warnings of famine and displaced millions of people inside and outside the country.

UNICEF officials say the organization won’t be able to treat more than 300,000 of those without improved access and without additional support, which means tens of thousands would likely die.

The UN body has defined the most dangerous form of malnutrition as severe acute malnutrition, which makes a child more likely to die from diseases such as cholera and malaria. Accordingly, 3.5 million children were projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition.

The “lethal combination of malnutrition, mass displacement, and disease” is quickly growing, UNICEF officials have warned in a statement.

“We need safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access across conflict lines and across borders – and we need international support to help sustain the essential services and systems that children rely on for survival,” said Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF.

UNICEF is appealing for $840m to help slightly more than 7.5 million children in Sudan this year amid severe funding insufficiency.