We have continued to follow the unfolding and grave events in Khartoum, Sudan and have been maintaining intermittent contact with the SVDP team there. The SVDP Sudan team have reported they are safe (though several colleagues have left the country) and doing their best to stay safe, but water and food supplies are becoming scarce and electricity supplies are at best intermittent.
It is estimated that over 2m people have now become internally displaced across all of Sudan’s 18 states as a result of the ongoing conflict. The critical needs are rapidly multiplying, with an estimated 24.7 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance need, including 50% (13.6 million) of all children in Sudan.
The deterioration of the health care systems, lack of access to safe water and the increasingly vulnerable living conditions people are being forced into is adding to the deterioration of health conditions. In conflict zones and IDP camps, the lack of basic services including immunisation services have led to a rise in incidence of measles and mortality due to malnutrition.
It is estimated that 1,100 people have been killed and close to 12,000 injured in the conflict to date*. Humanitarian access has been severely hindered, with the operational environment become increasingly complex. (*July 2023)
The SVP do not specialise in humanitarian emergency response or usually donate to other charities but we are pleased to say that on this occasion the Board of Trustees have agreed to fund a one off grant of £20k to support the vital work of Concern Worldwide who deliver lifesaving and life-changing interventions to some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.
Our funding will help provide life-saving, integrated health and nutrition services to 35,000 vulnerable IDPs, and vulnerable host families in the Red Sea State to reduce malnutrition and related medical complications for children under 5 years old.
Once the conflict has ceased we wish to resume funding with Sudan but at this stage we don’t know what that will look like, however we still plan to launch the annual Sudan appeal this year on the basis of raising funds for the future when it is safe to resume sending money internationally.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Sudan and the SVDP team in Khartoum at this very difficult time. Perhaps you would like to light a candle and offer a prayer for them on our Light a Candle platform?