The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Gwi-Yeop Son, on Sunday called on the international community to scale up its support to Sudan and help the country to address the most immediate and critical needs of millions of people affected by the health and humanitarian consequences of COVID-19.
In a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj, Gwi-Yeop Son said over $283 million is urgently needed to support the government-led response and provide life-saving assistance to more than 6.7 million people across the country.
“COVID-19 arrived in Sudan at a time when an increasing part of the population was already struggling to meet their basic needs and the health system was already under extreme stress,” explained Ms. Son.
The pandemic has triggered a further economic slowdown amidst the ongoing economic crisis. This situation is affecting families’ purchasing capacity and the restrictions on movements are also impacting access to food, health care, and basic services.
“More than 9.6 million people, almost a quarter of the entire population of Sudan, are facing severe hunger, the highest figure ever recorded in Sudan,” said Tinago Chikoto, the Deputy Head of Office for OCHA in Sudan.
The COVID-19 addendum reflects an in-depth elaboration of the requirements for Sudan that are outlined in the United Nations Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19, launched last week, and will enable humanitarians to provide food, water, sanitation, health, nutrition, and protection services during the pandemic. It complements the government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the most vulnerable.