UN continues to scale up aid for millions in need across Sudan

Addis Ababa, May 17, 2023 (FBC) – The UN and humanitarian partners continue to scale up the aid response for the millions in need across Sudan on Tuesday, as news reports described heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum and neighbouring areas between the national army and rival RSF militia

The UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told correspondents at the regular briefing in New York that the World Health Organization (WHO) had managed to deliver 30 tons of medical supplies to Al-Jazirah state, southeast of the capital, while trauma supplies to treat 2,400 people were delivered yesterday to five hospitals there, and three hospitals in the capital, Khartoum.

“WHO also supports the delivery of critical items to its partners and has additional supplies in the pipeline. Those will be released as soon as the security situation and logistics situation allow”, he said.

Meanwhile, aid organizations have managed to resume operations in parts of Darfur, he confirmed.

In North Darfur, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has helped deliver some 235,000 liters of clean water to eight healthcare facilities and one nutrition centre.

UNICEF is also distributing water, sanitation and health supplies for nearly 15,700 patients at more than a dozen healthcare facilities”, the Spokesperson said.

And in Eastern Darfur, UNICEF has provided clean water to some 40,000 people in the Elneem camp for internally displaced people.

Shedding more light on the impact of the month-long crisis on the seven States bordering Sudan, Dujarric highlight that the UN team in Chad were reporting some 80,000 arrivals, including 60,000 refugees and 20,000 returning home.

Chad was already home to over one million forcibly displaced persons, including about 600,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR), Cameroon and Nigeria.

“So far, 3,000 refugee families have received non-food itemsfrom the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and UNICEF.

UNICEF has also installed water points and distributed water treatment material, ready-to-use therapeutic food, as well as essential medicines to health centres to ensure the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.”

The UN emergency food aid agency, WFP, has distributed food and nutrition supplies to more than 20,000 new refugees in eight different locations along the eastern border, while the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, is providing dignity kits and other supplies.