‘Unicef Sudan needs $174 million’

Unicef estimated it needs $174 million to reach 3.8 million children in Sudan and deliver humanitarian and development assistance in Sudan. Sudan is mentioned among the severely underfunded emergencies globally.

In 2016, Unicef plans to continue working with partners, including the Sudanese government, to reach children affected by conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and chronic underdevelopment, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Some two million children younger than five years are suffering from malnutrition, with global acute malnutrition (GAM) above emergency thresholds at 16.3 percent, the UN organisation wrote in a press statement on Tuesday.

Over 3 million children have no access to basic education services, and 3.8 million people do not have access to water and sanitation.

Unicef points to the more than 198,000 South Sudanese who have fled the war in South Sudan since December 2013 and sought refuge in the Sudan. More than 70 percent of those living in camps are children, the organisation said. The children in areas inaccessible to support have not yet been reached with safe water, proper sanitation, nutrition, education, and health services.

It added that the recent El Niño weather event, the largest on record, may pose a further risk to up to 1.7 million children in Sudan in the first quarter of 2016, according to an impact analysis.

Sudan is mentioned among the severely underfunded emergencies globally. Today, Unicef launched a $2.8 billion appeal to reach 43 million children in humanitarian emergencies worldwide. It stated that for the first time ever, the largest portion of the appeal – 25 percent – is going towards educating children in emergencies.

In 2015, Unicef Sudan appealed for $116.9 million for emergency assistance, which received 42 percent funding. Approximately 1,859,300 conflict-affected people (60 percent children) benefited from primary health care services, the organisation reported. 93,300 children were reached with psychosocial support and nearly 31,900 children were able to continue their education through learning spaces.

Related:

€2 million from EU to Unicef for Sudan’s children (5 October 2015)

War keeps 3 million Sudanese children from school: Unicef (7 September 2015)