Funding cuts push Sudan’s children toward irreversible harm, UNICEF warns

Deep funding cuts are pushing a generation of children in Sudan to the brink of irreversible harm, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, as humanitarian support is scaled back and malnutrition persists across the country.

The crisis comes amid what UN agencies describe as one of the worst funding shortfalls in decades, worsened by decisions from the United States and other donors to slash foreign aid budgets.

"Children have limited access to safe water, food, healthcare. Malnutrition is rife, and many good children are reduced to just skin, bones," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s Representative in Sudan, speaking via video link from Port Sudan.

Sudan’s conflict, now in its second year, pits the army against the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has displaced millions. The fighting has fragmented the country, with RSF forces still entrenched in large parts of western Sudan.

In July, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that several areas south of the capital Khartoum were at risk of famine.

According to UNICEF, funding cuts are shutting children out of life-saving services, even as humanitarian needs grow rapidly.

"With recent funding cuts, many of our partners in Khartoum and elsewhere have been forced to scale back... We are being stretched to the limit across Sudan, with children dying of hunger," Yett said.
"We on the verge of irreversible damage being done to an entire generation of children in Sudan."

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said only 23% of the $4.16 billion global humanitarian response plan for Sudan has been funded.

UNICEF added that access to areas in need remains limited, with the rainy season rendering some roads impassable and key zones, such as Al-Fashir, still under siege.

"It has been one year since famine was confirmed in ZamZam camp and no food has reached this area. Al-Fashir remains under siege. We need that access now," said Jens Laerke of OCHA.

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