Alight: Famine declared in Sudan

News

Famine declared in Sudan

Date

August 8, 2024

Source

A letter from Mohammed Idriss, Executive Director for Alight in Sudan, about the severity of country's current crisis and the recent declaration of famine at Zamzam Camp

Sudan

Emergencies

No items found.

**Update:

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan ensuing from the conflict that began in April 2023 has become the world's most severe, yet it remains largely absent from global headlines.

June 27: The IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC) reported that 25.6 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger, with 14 areas facing the risk of famine. On August 1, the Committee declared famine in Zamzam Camp in North Darfur, where approximately half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are sheltering. Similar conditions are likely present in other IDP camps across the region, but it hasn’t been possible to get information or access.

August 26: To make matters worse, flash floods on August 26 destroyed more than 12,000 homes in 10 of the country’s provinces, with more than 30,000 families affected. [See September 3 update below.]

As we near October, the famine will increase. The number of children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable populations that go hungry will increase. The gap in aid is immense, and it is unclear how it will be addressed. This is a forgotten crisis. In some locations, Alight is the sole responding organization. But we continue to expand our efforts. You can help. Donate today.

Alight's response to the crisis

Addressing the food crisis

We are leading efforts in East and South Darfur through two consortia in partnership with six organizations. Our key initiatives have included:

Doubling nutrition programming and establishing six more stabilization centers and outpatient therapeutic programs (OTPs)

Increasing staff capacity by 25% in nutrition centers and health facilities

Tripling support for children and pregnant and lactating women suffering from malnutrition

Expanding health facilities to serve up to 30% more of the population with outpatient, reproductive health, laboratory, and immunization services

We have also provided in-kind support to 216,418 farmers, including seeds, local tools, and post-harvest materials, and distributed livestock to 1,200 households. Additionally, we are promoting small farms and kitchen gardens to enhance household-level food security and minimize waste.

Support the people of Sudan

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September 3 update: Responding to flooding and cholera outbreaks

Kassala and Gedaref states in Sudan are currently hosting 818,010 internally displaced persons (IDP)across more than 591 sites, including schools, unfinished buildings, and open areas lacking proper shelter and protection. The situation has been exacerbated by a cholera outbreak, with the first case confirmed on July 25. Due to limited response capacity, cases have surged to 1,143 and 56 deaths as of August 27. The crisis is further intensified by widespread flooding affecting most localities and IDP camps.

Alight is scaling up its response

In coordination with the Ministry of Health, we have established four emergency mobile clinics in Gedaref and are supporting five primary health care clinics in Kassala, delivering integrated health and nutrition services to over 60,000affected individuals
Since August, our medical teams have conducted more than 20,000 consultations 24hours a day and provided essential services to those most in need, focusing on child and maternity health
In our efforts to reduce cholera, we set up treatment centers and referral mechanisms to find cases and provide timely treatment
We are also setting up two additional mobile clinics in Gedaref’s Fashaga Locality to respond urgently to 78 reported cholera cases, including 13 deaths

Despite these efforts, the scale of this emergency requires more humanitarian support, with 24.8 million people in need across Sudan.

We cannot turn away

The challenges in Sudan are immense. With active fighting, a breakdown in the rule of law, and restricted access to affected populations, the situation remains critical. Yet we cannot turn away; the suffering is too high to ignore. Please keep an eye on Sudan. I urge everyone to contribute to ending violence, ensuring the safe passage of humanitarian aid and workers, and securing funding to address the increasing needs.

With your support, Alight will continue its efforts to reach as many Sudanese in need as possible. Special thanks to our sponsors (listed below), donors, partners, and customers for helping us reach over 1 million customers since January of this year.

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