Health Crisis Deepens in Sudan: UN Expresses Concern Over Escalating Child Death Toll

According to United Nations (U.N.) agencies, over 1,200 children have died from suspected measles and malnutrition in Sudan refugee camps. These children, along with thousands of others, including newborns, are at risk of death by the end of the year. The healthcare sector in Sudan is severely affected due to direct attacks from warring parties and a shortage of staff and medicines. Dr. Allen Maina, chief of public health at the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), believes that the number of deaths will continue to rise. UNICEF expresses concerns that many thousands of newborns among the 333,000 babies expected to be born by the end of the year will not receive necessary care. The scarcity of medical supplies and the fact that many people are trapped in war zones or displaced makes skilled delivery care increasingly improbable. Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated by the insufficient number of functional nutrition centers in Sudan.