According to a UN refugee agency spokesperson, approximately 200,000 people have fled Sudan into neighboring countries since violence erupted last month, including many malnourished children who have arrived in Chad.
According to UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado, 60,000 people have arrived in Chad through the desert, with approximately 30,000 arriving in the last few days.
She also mentioned that nearly 90% of the new arrivals are women and children, with 20% of infants and toddlers being underweight.
“UNHCR calls for immediate financial support for all actors involved in the response in order to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, prevent tensions over strained resources, and support those forcibly displaced in a dignified manner,” she said.
“Support from the private sector has been slow compared to other emergencies, despite the urgency and severity of the crisis,” she added, predicting a new appeal after the agency requested $445 million last week.
At the same briefing, a UNICEF spokesperson reported that a factory in Khartoum, Sudan, producing food for malnourished children had been destroyed by fire.
“This is the darkest, most distinct illustration to date of how this conflict threatens children’s lives through multiple means,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said. He had no idea if the factory, which produces 60% of Sudan’s ready-made food cartons, had been set on fire intentionally.
