Child welfare agency UNICEF announced it is facing a 40% budget shortfall for its Sudan operations, having received 130 million dollars this year so far.

In a press conference on Sunday, UNICEF deputy executive director Omar Abdi expressed fear over the challenges facing the agency in Sudan especially with regard to accessing all children.

The UN official pointed out that 6% of children in war-affected areas are suffering from treatable diseases.

For his part, UNICEF resident representative in Sudan, Geert Cappelaere said that malnutrition in eastern Sudan is worse than in Darfur, noting that UNICEF would like to open an office in eastern Sudan to strengthen its presence there.