UN Humanitarian Chief: We are 鈥渇ailing鈥� Sudan
Martin Griffiths says 鈥渙ne of the major impacts鈥� of war in Ukraine is less attention on other crises
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has told HARDtalk that 鈥淪udan is the place鈥he humanitarian community is failing more than elsewhere鈥�. Martin Griffiths said that Sudan, which has been engulfed in conflict for five months, is 鈥渙bviously the top of the list鈥� of humanitarian priorities.
Speaking to Stephen Sackur, Griffiths lamented the 鈥渄evastating difference鈥� between the 18 million people in the country who required aid and the 3.5 million who were actually receiving it. He said that humanitarians are having to make life-and-death decisions, such as 鈥渨hether it's still safe enough to keep a hospital going in Khartoum鈥�. Lack of funding is a major concern, with every 1% cut in food rations putting 鈥�400,000 more people at risk of starvation鈥�.
The senior UN official, who serves as Emergency Relief Chief, also noted that it was 鈥渧ery difficult to get media attention to Sudan鈥�. He observed that 鈥渙ne of the major impacts of the Ukraine war鈥� is that there is less attention being given to other humanitarian crises around the world.
According to the UN, at least 5,000 people have been killed and 12,000 injured since the war in Sudan began in April. More than 5 million have been forced to flee their homes and 80% of health services are not functioning.
