The United Nations says that more than half of the children displaced from Malakal toward the Nasser area of Upper Nile State suffer from severe malnutrition.
OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, disclosed this information in a situation report released Friday giving data from a recent nutrition assessment conducted in the area.
The report, current to 6 February, stated, “414 children under five years were screened for malnutrition. Of these, 233 children were found to have severe acute malnutrition (56.4%).”
All of these children fled from recent violence in Malakal and neighboring counties toward Nasser, which is under control of opposition forces. In addition to those severely malnourished, another 125 children (or 30.4% of those screened) were found to be suffering from “moderate acute malnutrition.”
This prevalence rate is significantly higher than that found in Unity State, where another assessment team reported 3% of children were severely malnourished and 7.7% were acutely malnourished, out of 587 children screened.
Other key updates provided by OCHA include a report that insecurity continued to prevent aid access in parts of Unity State. “Clashes continued to be reported in Guit and Leer counties,” the UN agency stated.
Elsewhere in Upper Nile State, more population movement has taken place northward from counties outlying Malakal: “Trucks with displaced communities arrive in Malakal from Baliet County and northern Jonglei State. These people tend to transit for a few days, before continuing northwards towards Melut, Paloich and Renk, depending on where they feel they will find safety.”
Health workers, meanwhile, have reported 19 suspected cases of measles in Yida, a refugee camp for north Sudanese in northern Unity State. The cases have not yet been confirmed by lab results.
Related:
Key humanitarian updates, 4 Feb.
Key humanitarian updates, 31 Jan.
Key humanitarian updates, 28 Jan.
File photo: A child undergoing a mid-upper arm circumference test, which helps diagnose malnutrition (MSF)