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The recent assault on one of the few remaining hospitals in the region has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation initiated by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023.
Among the supplies taken during the attack were 2,200 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food, essential for treating children facing severe acute malnutrition, a critical and potentially fatal condition marked by extreme weight loss and muscle depletion.
In addition to these crucial food supplies, items such as iron and folic acid supplements for expectant and nursing mothers, midwifery kits, and essential healthcare provisions for mothers and children were also looted.
Assault on Essential Care
“The theft of life-saving resources intended for malnourished children is an abhorrent act and constitutes a direct attack on their very existence,” stated Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.
“These unacceptable actions against defenseless children must come to an immediate halt. All involved parties are urged to comply with international humanitarian law, protect non-combatants, and ensure safe, unhindered access for humanitarian efforts to those in dire need.”
UNICEF had managed to deliver these life-sustaining supplies on December 20 of the previous year, marking the first significant humanitarian shipment to Jabal Awlia in over a year and a half. However, this looting incident, combined with increasing violence forcing aid operations to cease, is driving the region’s most vulnerable populations closer to a humanitarian catastrophe.
Children at Greater Risk
The hospital is located in Jabal Awlia, one of 17 areas designated as at risk of famine.
This region is facing acute shortages of food, medicine, and other vital necessities. Prolonged fighting has obstructed the flow of both commercial and humanitarian supplies for more than three months, leaving thousands of civilians stranded amidst escalating conflicts.
Additionally, over 4,000 individuals have been compelled to flee their homes, further intensifying the crisis.
A Humanitarian Emergency of Unprecedented Scale
The crisis transcends Jabal Awlia, as the humanitarian emergency unfolds across Sudan, where millions are confronted with life-threatening challenges.
Currently, more than 24.6 million people—over half of Sudan’s population—are experiencing acute food insecurity. The collapse of healthcare services, widespread school closures, and record levels of displacement have contributed to an extraordinary humanitarian disaster.
In light of these escalating circumstances, UNICEF has urgently called on all stakeholders to ensure unobstructed humanitarian access for aid delivery, to safeguard hospitals and civilian infrastructure, and to provide security assurances for humanitarian workers to enable life-saving assistance to reach those in need.
Source
news.un.org