UNICEF calls for urgent action on Sudan’s “forgotten crisis”

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban has urgently appealed for global attention to Sudan, calling it “the largest displacement crisis in the world.”

He emphasized that “the crisis is forgotten and cannot be forgotten,” warning that without intervention, “many will die.” Chaiban insisted that Sudan “needs the same level of attention as Gaza and Lebanon.”

The conflict, ongoing since April 2023 between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has uprooted over 14 million people and left 8.5 million in severe food insecurity, with 775,000 facing famine-like conditions. Chaiban stated, “We’ve never in a generation seen these types of numbers.”

He noted the alarming scale of disease outbreaks, including cholera, which has caused over 700 deaths. “UNICEF is on the ground working day and night,” Chaiban added, “*but we can do more if we have the necessary access and presence.*”

The RSF has intensified attacks, especially in Gezira province, where recent assaults have resulted in dozens of casualties and extensive damage to property. The UN describes atrocities in Darfur, including mass rapes and ethnic violence by the RSF, as potential war crimes.

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