Latest news with #SheldonYett
Shafaq News
a day ago
- Health
- Shafaq News
Deadly Cholera outbreak kills +70 in Sudan
Shafaq News/ A cholera outbreak has killed at least 70 people in Sudan's capital over the past two days, overwhelming Khartoum's deteriorating health system, local authorities reported on Friday. The Sudanese Health Ministry recorded 942 new infections and 25 deaths on Thursday, following 1,177 cases and 45 fatalities the previous day. This sharp increase came weeks after intensive drone strikes attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), disrupting water and electricity supplies across the capital. Fighting between the army and the RSF has devastated Khartoum over the past two years. Last week, the army-backed government announced that it had cleared RSF forces from their final positions in Khartoum. Despite these advances, large parts of the health and sanitation infrastructure remain in ruins. The country's doctors' union indicated that nearly 90 percent of hospitals nationwide have closed at various stages of the conflict. Many facilities have also been damaged by shelling, looted, or occupied by armed groups. The cholera outbreak has placed additional strain on an already collapsing system. Authorities cited an 89 percent recovery rate in isolation centres, warning that worsening environmental conditions continue to push infection numbers higher. A Near collapse Since August 2024, Sudan has registered more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases and over 1,700 deaths across 12 of the country's 18 states. In Khartoum alone, more than 7,700 infections and 185 deaths have been recorded—over 1,000 of them children under five. The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, estimates that more than one million children remain at risk in cholera-affected areas of the capital. 'We are racing against time … to provide basic healthcare, clean water and good nutrition,' noted UNICEF's representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett. 'Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition.' Now entering its third year, the war has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million people, and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Cholera outbreak kills 70 in Sudan as health system collapses
Listen to article A severe cholera outbreak centred in Sudan's war-torn capital, Khartoum, has killed at least 70 people in just two days, local health authorities confirmed, raising alarm over an escalating public health emergency in a city already devastated by more than two years of armed conflict. The Khartoum state health ministry reported 942 new infections and 25 deaths on Wednesday, following 1,177 cases and 45 fatalities the previous day. The outbreak is being driven by the near-total collapse of health and sanitation infrastructure, worsened by ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum, once a thriving metropolis, has lost access to water and electricity in recent weeks after drone attacks—blamed on the RSF—targeted critical infrastructure. Despite recent gains by government forces, who claim to have pushed RSF fighters from their last urban strongholds, the capital remains in crisis. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and lack of clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases,' said Eatizaz Yousif, Sudan country director for the International Rescue Committee. 'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' she warned. Nationally, the federal health ministry reported that 172 people died of cholera in the week leading up to Tuesday—nearly 90% of them in Khartoum state. Since August 2024, more than 65,000 suspected cases and at least 1,700 deaths have been recorded across 12 of Sudan's 18 states. In Khartoum alone, 7,700 cases and 185 deaths have been reported, with over 1,000 infections in children under five. Aid organisations say the numbers may be higher, with only 10% of hospitals in war-affected zones still functioning. The looming rainy season threatens to further accelerate the outbreak and restrict humanitarian access to the most affected areas. The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, estimates that more than one million children are at risk in cholera-affected regions of Khartoum. 'We are racing against time to provide basic healthcare, clean water and good nutrition,' said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF's representative in Sudan. 'Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition.' The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, now in its third year, has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced 13 million people, and triggered what the UN calls the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. International aid groups are calling for immediate global intervention to prevent a further catastrophe. Without urgent action, experts warn, the death toll could rise dramatically in the coming weeks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sudan reports 70 cholera deaths in Khartoum in two days
A cholera outbreak in Sudan's Khartoum has killed at least 70 people in two days, local health authorities said. The health ministry in Khartoum state reported on Thursday 942 new infections and 25 deaths the previous day, following 1,177 cases and 45 deaths the day before. The outbreak is centred around the capital city, Khartoum, which has been devastated by more than two years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city lost access to water and electricity earlier this month following drone attacks blamed on the RSF. The army-backed government announced last week that it had dislodged RSF fighters from their last bases in Khartoum State, two months after retaking the heart of the capital from the paramilitaries. The city remains devastated with health and sanitation infrastructure barely functioning. According to the federal health ministry, 172 people died of cholera in the week to Tuesday – 90 percent of them in Khartoum state alone. Aid workers say the scale of the outbreak is being worsened by the near-total collapse of health services, with about 90 percent of hospitals in key war zones no longer operational.'Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,' said Eatizaz Yousif, Sudan country director for the International Rescue Committee. 'The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and lack of clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases,' she told AFP. Since August 2024, Sudan has reported more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 1,700 deaths across 12 of its 18 states. Khartoum alone has seen 7,700 cases and 185 deaths, including more than 1,000 infections in children under five. The spread of disease is expected to worsen with the upcoming rainy season, which is likely to further restrict humanitarian access. Aid groups warn that unless urgent action is taken, the death toll could soar. According to the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, more than one million children are at risk in cholera-affected areas of Khartoum. 'We are racing against time … to provide basic healthcare, clean water and good nutrition,' said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF's representative in Sudan. 'Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition.' The war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Sudan War Exacerbates Risk Of Cholera And Malaria: UNICEF
May 2025 In a report released Wednesday, UNICEF highlighted the growing threat of cholera in the war-torn country, with more than 7,700 cases and 185 associated deaths reported in Khartoum State alone since January 2025. Alarmingly, over 1,000 cases have affected children under the age of five. Since the onset of conflict in April 2023, three million people have been forced to flee their homes, displaced internally and across the region. Returning to homes without water While improved access to parts of Khartoum State has enabled more than 34,000 people to return since January, many are coming back to homes that have been severely damaged and lack access to basic water and sanitation services. Recent attacks on power infrastructure in Khartoum State have compounded the crisis, disrupting water supplies and forcing families to collect water from unsafe, contaminated sources. This significantly increases the risk of cholera, particularly in densely populated areas such as displacement camps. UNICEF has implemented a multi-pronged approach to the crisis, including distributing household water treatment chemicals, delivering over 1.6 million oral cholera vaccines, supplying cholera treatment kits, and more. 'Each day, more children are exposed to this double threat of cholera and malnutrition, but both are preventable and treatable, if we can reach children in time,' said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. Malaria and new prevention efforts Also on Wednesday, UNICEF launched a partnership with the Sudanese government's health ministry and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to distribute nearly 15.6 million insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent the spread of malaria among vulnerable families across Sudan, along with 500,000 additional nets for antenatal and immunization facilities. The campaign aims to protect 28 million Sudanese across 14 states. As with cholera, ongoing conflict and displacement have created conditions conducive to the spread of malaria. Overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, coupled with the approaching rainy season, present a serious health risk to millions, particularly those returning to damaged communities. In addition, the initiative aims to bolster the availability of anti-malarial medications, rapid diagnostic tests, and investments in strengthening the healthcare system. Critical medical supplies reach West Darfur In a more positive development, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday that El Geneina Hospital in West Darfur has received eight tonnes of medical supplies for nutrition, non-communicable diseases and mental health. The delivery, supported by the World Bank Africa, the Share Project, and the European Union, is expected to sustain the hospital's operations for six months, providing vital support to one of the regions hardest hit by the multiple escalating crises.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
UNICEF Reaching Children Caught In Sudan's Perfect Storm
On March 2, 2025, children walk back home from a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space in Al Houri internally displaced people's (IDP) camp in Gedaref State, Sudan. At the camp, UNICEF and partners are delivering an integrated emergency response in water, sanitation and hygiene, health and nutrition, child protection and education, benefiting children and their families from displaced and host communities. As the brutal armed conflict in Sudan moves into its third year, the country is mired in the world's largest humanitarian and child displacement polycrisis. Life is a daily battle to survive for 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly 15 million people have been displaced inside Sudan and across borders; more than half of those displaced are children. Almost one in three are under the age of 5. Famine is spreading, vaccination rates are dropping. Sexual violence against children is being used as a weapon of war. About 90 percent of children are out of school. In areas where opportunities to return arise, unexploded ordnance and limited access to essential services put children's lives at heightened risk. On April 5, 2025, mothers and children gathered at Saudi Hospital in Omdurman, Khartoum State, Sudan, to access essential health services. The hospital receives lifesaving vaccines, nutrition supplies and essential medicines from UNICEF. The day the war began — April 15, 2023 — Fatuma, 13, was taking a test at her school in Khartoum. "In the middle of the exam, a teacher entered and asked us to put the papers away," Fatuma said. "She didn't tell us why. She told us to go straight home and not to look around or linger in the streets." By the time she arrived home, her family was in a state of panic. As the sound of intense fighting grew nearer, the family fled in search of safety. Since then, they have moved six times. Home for now is a camp for the internally displaced in Kassala. UNICEF has been on the ground in Sudan since the 1950s, working to improve critical services and provide support and protection for vulnerable children. In 2024, UNICEF and partners provided psychosocial counseling, education and protection services to 2.7 million children and caregivers, reached over 9.8 million children and families with safe drinking water, screened 6.7 million children for malnutrition and provided lifesaving treatment for 422,000 of them. UNICEF continues to prioritize lifesaving interventions in conflict zones and also supports displaced populations and host communities in safer areas, providing essential services and support. UNICEF Representative to Sudan, Sheldon Yett, center in UNICEF vest, enjoys a light moment with children at Ammar Ibn Yasir School for Boys on April 5, 2025. The school hosts a safe learning space for internally displaced children in Karrari, Khartoum State. Safe learning spaces are places where children can meet, play, sing, have fun together and access learning activities supported by teachers. But access by humanitarian actors to children is deteriorating due to the intensity of the conflict and to restrictions or bureaucratic impediments imposed by government authorities or other armed groups. In 2024, over 60 percent of UNICEF's aid deliveries were delayed amid a highly volatile security environment. Although no missions were cancelled or aborted, these repeated delays disrupted the timely delivery of assistance and hindered access to children in urgent need. In Central Darfur, Sudan, UNICEF partners and volunteers transport cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food by raft in September 2024, following the collapse of the Wadi Mornei bridge due to flooding. Last week, dozens of civilians, including at least 23 children, and several aid workers were reportedly killed in attacks in Al Fasher and Abu Shouk and Zamzam IDP camps. Over the past three months, more than 140 children have been killed or maimed in Al Fasher alone, underscoring the relentless toll of the ongoing war on children in Sudan and the extreme conditions facing humanitarian workers. "Two years of violence and displacement have shattered the lives of millions of children across Sudan," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Needs continue to outpace humanitarian funding. With the rainy season around the corner, children who are already reeling from malnutrition and disease will be harder to reach. I urge the international community to seize this pivotal window for action and step up for Sudan's children.' "We have the expertise and the resolve to scale up our support, but we need access and sustained funding," Russell continued. "Most of all, children in Sudan need this horrific conflict to end.' On April 5, 2025, a child shows his drawing of a tank at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space (CFS) in the Alhatana neighborhood, Omdurman, Khartoum State, Sudan. Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance. Help UNICEF reach more children with urgently needed support. Please donate today.
