UNICEF delivers 1.4M cholera vaccines to Sudan

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - UNICEF on Saturday announced the arrival of 1.4 million oral cholera vaccine doses at a port in the eastern part of war-torn Sudan.

This shipment aims to protect children from a cholera outbreak which has affected 10 of the country’s 18 states since July, resulting in over 18,000 cases and killing 550, the UN agency said in a statement.

The new vaccines supplement 404,000 doses delivered last month, supporting ongoing immunization campaigns targeting 1.81 million people in the most affected areas, the statement underlined.

“Delivery of the vaccines … is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Sudan.

In Sudan, an estimated 3.4 million children under age 5 are at high risk of epidemic diseases, with 3.1 million people at risk of cholera by this December, UNICEF said.

The country's health care system is struggling, with national vaccination coverage dropping from 85% to 50% and over 70% of hospitals in conflict areas non-operational.

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, with at least 12,260 people having been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict, according to UN figures.

With the onset of the rainy season, the population, particularly those uprooted sheltering in makeshift sites and tents, has been exposed to further displacement, contagious diseases, and the direct threat of heavy rainfall and flooding.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen in Sudan as nearly 6.8 million people have fled their homes, seeking safety in other parts of the country or neighboring nations.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and US mediators have failed to end the violence.