Emergency nutrition response requires teamwork

Albara's arm is measured as part of treatment for malnutrition. Photo: Save the Children

Sudan |2023| CBPF

Sudan, North Darfur, and River Nile state. Across Sudan, more than 20 million people face acute food insecurity – meaning their inability to get adequate food puts their lives in immediate danger. Hundreds of thousands of malnourished children under five need specialized in-patient care to survive. This already horrifying situation has been made much worse by the conflict that flared up in April. With hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes, the food and nutrition situation is worsening.

With funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and others, the World Health Organization is supporting nutrition stabilization centers across Sudan to treat infants and young children with the most severe malnutrition. WHO has supported 91 stabilization centers with essential medicines, malaria prevention, and critical medical supplies for 26,000 malnourished children.

“Responding to the malnutrition crisis calls for a chain of responses. WHO teams support stabilization centers with medical supplies, training, and oversight; while our health and nutrition partners provide lifesaving special milk and food,” noted Dr. Abdul Baseer Qureshi, WHO Technical Officer in charge of the nutrition programme. “Together, we are working to save lives and ensure the health and well-being of vulnerable Sudanese children.”

Mobile health centers supported by Save the Children and funded by the SHF are delivering therapeutic feeding. Baby Albara, just seven months old, received essential milk and food, which are helping her recover.

However, the dire lack of access to health care remains a major concern. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros on 6 September warned that about 65 per cent of people in Sudan have no access to health services, and more than 70 per cent of health facilities in conflict areas are not functioning.

Adapted from original stories from Save the Children and WHO.

For more information: visit the Sudan Humanitarian Fund page; and find realtime contribution and allocation data on the POOLED FUNDS DATA HUB.