One year on from the start of war in Sudan, millions of people have suffered widespread displacement and violence from airstrikes, bombing, shooting and sexual assault.
Sudan is now the largest displacement crisis globally with an estimated 8.6 million people forcibly displaced due to the conflict, which is equivalent to the population of Switzerland.
Over 6 million people are displaced internally and nearly 2 million have fled into neighbouring countries, with many living in under-resourced camps both in and outside of Sudan. (UNOCHA, April 2024)
This high number of displaced people live in poor, overcrowded conditions and lack access to clean water, healthcare and vaccinations. Together with limited disease surveillance this has created ideal conditions for the rapid spread of diseases such as malaria, dengue and cholera.
Around 18 million people are facing acute hunger. Disease and malnutrition have a synergistic relationship, increasing morbidity and mortality particularly in pregnant women and children.
Reported figures as of March 2024 show:
- Over 1.3 million clinical cases of malaria have been diagnosed with 143 deaths.
- Over 8,300 cases of dengue have been diagnosed with 66 deaths.
- Suspected cholera cases continue to increase: 11,035 suspected cases, including 307 associated deaths reported from 64 localities of 12 states.
Over 530,000 people from Sudan have crossed the border into South Sudan at the Joda border point in the Upper Nile State, creating a huge burden on the transition centre in Renk and surrounding area. In this remote part of the country thousands of people who were forcibly displaced by the civil war in South Sudan also live, in an attempt to find safety and survive ongoing conflict.
To support this growing humanitarian emergency MENTOR carried out an Indoor Residual Spray campaign here from September to November last year, to protect refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities from malaria. We sprayed over 8,500 shelters and houses protecting around 75,300 people, supported by The Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).
The campaign covered the Renk Transition Centre, camps, several informal settlements outside the transition centre, Renk town, Renk hospital and all health facilities in the camps. The programme also included controlling the fly population to reduce the high number of diarrhoeal diseases.
Epidemiological data from UNHCR shows malaria cases are steadily falling following the IRS. Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets are also due to be delivered to Renk shortly, which will provide further protection from disease carrying insects.
This effective campaign shows how vector control can protect people in a humanitarian crisis who are at extreme risk of disease and death. But more needs to be done for the thousands of people who are forced to flee Sudan or are internally displaced in the country because of fighting.
On this first anniversary we join the urgent appeal to increase resources, commitment and the international response to prevent further deaths and suffering.
MENTOR is currently assessing the implementation of activities in Sudan and its neighbouring countries to help reduce the impact of this crisis.