UN Warns of ‘Catastrophic Loss of Life’ in Sudan

The lethal combination of hunger, displacement and disease outbreaks in Sudan is creating "a perfect storm" for a catastrophic loss of lives, the United Nations warned. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it sounded the alarm about a devastating cost to human life if the international community fails to act by providing aid funding. "To fight hunger in the country, the World Food Programme (WFP) is rushing to reach people in the grip of famine," OCHA said. However, the office said that without consistent humanitarian access it will be impossible to meet growing needs. OCHA said WFP is working around the clock to reach 8.4 million people by the end of the year. So far, the agency has assisted more than 5 million people, including 1.2 million in the western Darfur region. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports moving life-saving nutrition supplies to treat 215,000 severely malnourished children in Sudan. The agency and its partners also provided 6.6 million children and their families with safe drinking water this year, when disease outbreaks - including cholera - are worsening. UNICEF said children account for about half of the more than 10 million people who have fled their homes since the conflict in Sudan erupted last year. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that 2 million of the displaced crossed into neighboring countries, where it is delivering urgent support. Next Wednesday, OCHA said, the agency and UNHCR plan to host a meeting of representatives of the world body and UN member countries on the sidelines of the General Assembly's annual General Debate to discuss the spiraling crisis in the Sudan region. Source: Qatar News Agency