191 In an urgent plea on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for immediate action to address the escalating health and humanitarian crises in Sudan and urged the international community to provide essential financial aid. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the dire situation in Sudan, where the majority of health facilities in conflict-affected regions are non-operational due to ongoing fighting. The war in Sudan, which began on April 15, involves clashes between army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his former deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The conflict has led to a significant displacement of people, with over half a million seeking shelter in Al-Jazira state, south of Khartoum. However, recent military advances into the state have disrupted sanctuaries, prompting another mass exodus of over 300,000 individuals, according to the United Nations. Expressing deep concern, Tedros emphasized the need for urgent intervention to address the deteriorating conflict, humanitarian crises, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands, particularly affecting women and children. Since the conflict’s onset, an estimated 12,000 people have lost their lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. While WHO, in collaboration with partners, is actively addressing immediate health needs such as disease control and malnutrition threats, Tedros stressed the importance of increased financial support from the global community. The funds are essential for providing basic health services in the affected states, where approximately 70% of health facilities are non-functional due to the conflict. The United Nations reports that over 7.1 million people have been displaced, including 1.5 million who sought refuge in neighboring countries. Tedros, who has led the UN’s health agency since 2017, called for collective efforts to mitigate the health impact on vulnerable populations in the affected regions. You Might Be Interested In Japan to start releasing treated water from Fukushima this year Inequality fuelling the fire for Thailand’s political change Indonesia to move capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, but it won’t be easy Thailand’s emerging new political alignment The ASEAN–Japan Partnership: Celebrating 50 Years of Collaboration Australia’s natural gas security policy spills over the region
