UN: Millions of Children Going Hungry in Sudan

Facts

• Catherine Russell, executive director of the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has warned that an estimated 4M children are severely malnourished children, including over 700K facing 'severely acute malnutrition,' due to the civil war in Sudan.¹
• Russell added that 5M children have been displaced in Sudan, the highest number in the world, while 9M children are grappling with acute food insecurity, and nearly all Sudanese children are out of school.²
• This comes after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the provision of $38M in additional humanitarian assistance for the Sudanese people, including $23M to the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).³
• Previously, the US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, had acknowledged that parts of the country were in famine. However, he said the extent of extreme hunger remains unclear, and no formal declaration of famine has been made.⁴
• According to USAID head Samantha Power, current data suggests that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is 'comparable to and potentially worse' than the 2011 famine in Somalia, which killed at least 250K people.⁵
• The civil war, which broke out last April, has already claimed the lives of at least 14K people, with projections that 'catastrophic food shortages' could result in millions of famine-related deaths by September.⁶

Sources: ¹PBS NewsHour, ²BBC News, ³U.S. Agency for International Development, ⁴Reuters, ⁵Guardian and ⁶Democracy Now.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by New York Times. Despite the continued outcries of international aid groups, the world has done little to end Sudan's crisis. Both warring sides have faced little public criticism for human rights violations, and the UN Security Council took nearly a year to call for a cease-fire. The international community must take urgent action and assume responsibility for this crisis.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by UN News. The international community remains steadfast in its commitment to help Sudan. Without an end to the ongoing conflict, the security of East Africa may be at stake. Global support and aid must continue to be encouraged as the UN and its mediation teams remain set on securing a sustainable and peaceful future for the region.

Predictions