1,200 refugee children die in conflict-ridden Sudan: UN

ANKARA (AA) – More than 1,200 refugee children have died in Sudan amid ongoing fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.

In the White Nile state, “more than 1,200 refugee children under 5 have died in nine camps in the period between 15 May and 14 September, due to a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition,” UNHCR said in a statement.

“Over 3,100 suspected cases were also reported in the same period and more than 500 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in other parts of the country along with outbreaks of dengue and malaria,” it added.

Sudan has been ravaged by clashes between the army and the (RSF) since April, in a conflict that killed thousands, according to medics.

UN figures showed that more than 5.25 million people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting in Sudan.

“The world has the means and the money to prevent every one of these deaths from measles or malnutrition,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said. “And yet dozens of children are dying every day – a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention.”

The UN agency warned of a shortage of medical staff, life-saving medicine, and critical equipment to address the outbreak of diseases in war-torn Sudan.

“We can prevent more deaths, but need money for the response, access to those in need, and above all, an end to the fighting,” Grandi said.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar