The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have issued a dire warning regarding the escalating health crisis resulting from the ongoing Sudan crisis. Shockingly, the crisis has claimed the lives of more than 1200 refugee children under the age of 5 in nine camps between May 15 and September 14. The devastating toll is attributed to a suspected measles outbreak compounded by severe malnutrition. During the same period, an additional 3100 suspected cases of these conditions were reported. Furthermore, Sudan is grappling with more than 500 suspected cases of cholera, alongside outbreaks of dengue and malaria, significantly elevating the risk of epidemics and placing substantial challenges on epidemic control efforts.
The situation in Sudan has reached a breaking point, with healthcare facilities facing acute shortages of essential personnel, life-saving medications, and critical medical equipment. These shortages exacerbate ongoing outbreaks and result in avoidable fatalities. In addition, the repeated attacks on healthcare facilities, including healthcare workers, patients, and the transport of medical supplies, have severely restricted the delivery of vital health services.
© UNHCR/Ala Kheir
In Renk, South Sudan, humanitarian partners report a rising influx of children afflicted with measles and staggering rates of malnutrition. Alarmingly, the malnutrition crisis is rapidly deepening across the country. South Sudan, for instance, has reported over 5770 suspected cases of measles, resulting in 142 deaths. Children below 5 years old bear the brunt of this crisis, constituting nearly 70% of all cases and 76% of all deaths. An alarming statistic highlights that half of these affected children had not received measles vaccinations, emphasising immunisation gaps, particularly among returnees and refugees. Additionally, between May and July, health facilities witnessed a surge, admitting an average of 103 children monthly for moderate to severe malnutrition, compared to a mere 14 admissions before the conflict escalated.
Ethiopia’s Amhara region mirrors this alarming trend, grappling with an evolving cholera outbreak in Metema, where over 18,000 people who have fled the Sudan crisis are seeking refuge. As of September 12, the cholera outbreak had claimed eight lives among the 435 reported suspected cases. Alarmingly, cholera vaccine supplies for routine immunisation are running critically low, exposing refugees to further infections. Limited ambulances, insufficient medical equipment for treatment, and a shortage of essential healthcare personnel place lives at risk and severely hinder the humanitarian response.
Chad, too, faces the brunt of this health crisis, with nearly 13,000 children under 5 years old identified as acutely malnourished. Hospital admissions for malnourished children across the Ouaddai province, which hosts over 80% of the refugees, have surged by 56% since the Sudan conflict’s onset. The prevalence of malnutrition among incoming refugees underscores the dire circumstances driving people from Darfur to Chad. Acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and malaria continue to afflict children, while the challenge of accessing clean drinking water remains paramount, with families receiving only one-third of the recommended 15 litres per person.