Sudan Humanitarian Update (1 September 2024)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Famine conditions have been confirmed in Zamzam IDP camp near Al Fasher, North Darfur State. Thousands more are likely experiencing similar conditions in 13 other areas at risk of famine.

• Heavy rains and flooding; disease outbreaks, mainly cholera; and conflict-induced displacement continue to drive needs, worsening the humanitarian situation.

• Humanitarians welcomed the re-opening of Adre border crossing point as UN Deputy Secretary General visits Sudan and Chad.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Famine: Urgent resources and unrestricted access needed to scale up response

After more than 16 months of conflict in Sudan, famine conditions are now prevalent in Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, North Darfur State, marking the first such report globally since 2017. On 1 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) concluded that the ongoing conflict has pushed communities in North Darfur State, notably in Zamzam camp near the state capital Al Fasher, into famine (IPC 5) conditions as of June and July 2024 and are likely to persist during August-October 2024.

The FRC further added that thousands more people are likely experiencing similar conditions in 13 other areas at risk of famine that were highlighted in the IPC analysis released in June 2024. It urged for assessments in other IDP camps in Al Fasher, particularly, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps where similar conditions are likely affecting the IDP communities.

Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity in its history, with more than half of its population – 25.6 million people – in acute hunger. That includes more than 8.5 million people facing emergency levels of hunger (IPC 4), as well as more than 755,000 people who are in catastrophic conditions (IPC 5) in Greater Darfur, South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile, Aj Jazirah, and Khartoum.

In a statement, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, noted that humanitarians are on the ground ready to scale up and pushing ahead on multiple fronts. She added that “we need the guns to be silenced to enable humanitarians to reach the people in need. We need an urgent injection of funding for the aid operation as well as safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, including across borders and battle lines.”

Flooding: Above-normal rains cause flooding and displacement

Since the onset of the rainy season in June, heavy rains and flooding have continued to cause havoc displacing hundreds of thousands of people, damaging infrastructure, affecting road access, and heightening the risk of diseases. Sudan is one of the countries in the Greater Horn of Africa projected to receive above-average rains for the June to September 2024 Seasonal Forecast, according to the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC).

Since June, more than 442,600 people have been affected across 13 out of 18 states, with at least 124,600 people displaced by the flooding, according to the Sudan Floods Dashboard. The heavy rains and flooding have also displaced 4,300 IDPs in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps near Al Fasher, North Darfur State, with about 900 tents destroyed, 2,300 houses damaged, and latrines washed away by the floods. Flooding, coupled with escalating fighting, is worsening an already dire situation for thousands of IDPs in Zamzam camp where the IPC FRC confirmed the presence of famine-like conditions in early August.

The heavy downpours and subsequent flooding are exacerbating the plight of thousands of other vulnerable and acutely food insecure people, compounding their suffering, lack of safety and access to lifesaving assistance and services. In Northern and River Nile states, flooding has resulted in widespread scorpion and snake infestations, posing risks to the communities due to the shortage of treatment. Flooding and stagnant water are heightening the risk of disease outbreaks across affected states.

While the rains are good for crop farming and pasture generation, flooding is aggravating road conditions. This is delaying the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including seeds, to parts of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and other conflict-affected areas with acute needs, with access severely constrained due to fighting, flooding, and other challenges.

Diseases: Cholera outbreak confirmed; partners ramp up response

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that an outbreak of cholera was officially declared on 12 August 2024 by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) after a new wave of cholera cases had been reported from 22 July 2024. The previous outbreak had technically ended in June 2024 following two consecutive incubation periods without any case reported but had not been officially declared over. Between 22 July and 1 September, 2,895 cases of cholera have been reported, with 112 associated deaths – case fatality rate (CFR) of 3.9 per cent – from five states, including Kassala (1,703 cases), Gedaref (699), River Nile (408), Aj Jazirah (65), and Khartoum (20).

The FMoH, with support from WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) concluded a four-day oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign in Wad Alhilu of Kassala State on 22 August 2024 to protect communities in hotspot areas and curb the spread of the outbreak. A total of 51,000 doses of oral cholera vaccines (OCV) inside Sudan were utilized, with 100 per cent vaccination coverage, protecting the targeted population (persons older than one year) in this locality. In addition, 404,081 oral cholera vaccines have been approved to cover vulnerable people in Kassala State (120,533 doses for Wad Alhilu locality and 283,548 doses for Kassala locality). The vaccines are expected to arrive in Sudan during the first week of September 2024.

WHO supported the FMoH in submitting a request to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision for allocation of OCV and is providing technical, operational, and financial support to the campaign, as well as coordination with the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, including financial support to cover operational costs, and UNICEF supported with logistics to transport vaccines. Meanwhile, WHO cholera supplies had been pre-positioned in high-risk states in anticipation of a cholera outbreak during the rainy season, and have been distributed to all outbreak-affected states. WHO completed the assessment of case management capacities in cholera hotspots and is working to establish 12 cholera treatment units (CTU) – two units per each affected state and two for Red Sea State – and 48 Oral Rehydration Points (ORP) in the affected states.

Conflict displacement: 77,100 people displaced within and outside Sudan during 1st half of August 2024

During the first half of August 2024, about 73,550 people were displaced within Sudan and another 3,600 people crossed into neighbouring countries, according to the latest Sudan Mobility Update from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This brings the total number of people who fled their homes since mid-April 2023 to 10.3 million or every fifth person in the country, making this the largest displacement crisis in the world. This includes about 8 million people displaced within Sudan and another 2.3 million who crossed into neighbouring countries.

Unlike in previous years following the start of the Darfur crisis in 2003, the highest number of IDPs from any given state originates from the capital, Khartoum (3.7 million people or 34 per cent of IDPs since mid-April). This is followed by IDPs from South Darfur (19 per cent), North Darfur (14 per cent) and others. The crisis post-April 2023 can also be characterized as the “aid worker displacement crisis”, with dozens of Sudanese aid workers displaced themselves, either within Sudan or having fled to Chad, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Gulf countries, Malaysia, and other countries.