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• More than one-third of the population -- 17.7 million people -- face acute food insecurity. • 'Some 8.6 million people — the highest number in the world -- have been forced from their homes. • 'One in three people lack access to health care while diseases, like cholera, are spreading fast. • 'A generation of children risk losing out on education. 'This spiraling crisis comes on top of existing challenges in Sudan, including economic hardship and climate-related hazards.' Need for foodFaced above with the fact that, 'More than one-third of the population -- 17.7 million people -- face acute food insecurity,' I went looking for answers. This is what I found on OCHA's Storyhub. Food insecurity was worst in states with active conflict, including Khartoum, South and West Kordofan, and East, West, Central and South Darfur. In response, FAO – with support from CERF, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and other donors – delivered 10,000 tonnes of seeds to one million vulnerable farming households – reaching some five million people across Sudan just in time for planting season. This critical assistance should meet the cereal needs of up to 19 million people for a year, supporting local production and sustaining livelihoods. “The need for swift agricultural support in Sudan is paramount. While much work lies ahead, we are fully committed to leveraging this crucial planting season’s window of opportunity and our efforts on the ground continue daily,” said Hongjie Yang, the FAO Representative in Sudan. “Our goal is to navigate the complex security and logistical challenges to continue to reach farmers in the country with this time-sensitive assistance.” All this in the midst of warConflict in Sudan is devestating and outside influenced. It complicates. and, some say causes, the humanitarian troubles. Here is a video which does its best to explain this mess. Not just need for food - need for care tooWar broke out in 2023. Through some narrative paragraphs, again taken from OCHA's Storyhub, let's follow the story of pregnant mother, Lubna . 'Lubna still remembers the sound of shelling in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital city, in March 2023. The 34-year-old mother was pregnant at the time. “I was wondering how I can guarantee the safety of my unborn child, my other children and myself,” she recalled in October. “Who will give me a helping hand in these terrible circumstances? I did not know what to do" ... 'In June 2023, Lubna and her family scraped together the money they needed to flee Khartoum. At seven months pregnant, she made the arduous 15-hour journey by bus to Kosti, in White Nile State, taking refuge in a school at the Ezzedine displacement site. 'Living with her children in this temporary refuge has been challenging, but one thing Lubna did not have to worry about was reproductive health care. Immediately on arrival, Lubna received medical attention at a UNFPA-supported mobile clinic, including an examination, medication, and psychosocial support. Thereafter, she was able to receive routine care... 'Fortunately, Lubna was able to deliver at the clinic: on 12 September, Lubna gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The UN is askingFrom the UN I've taken just about all the substance of this post. But this week's story is not just information giving. The UN, or more specifically OCHA, is appealing for help. The email I received carries signs like Donate now and You can help too. Click on either one of those and we are taken to a donation site. The appeal is 'not to forget the Sudan.' To forget it would be easy I think. Ukraine! Gaza! They do dominate the headlines, don't they? □ John McInnes Friday 19 April 2024 ##########
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