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Sudan: UN Bemoans 1,200 Children’s Death As Health Crisis Worsens

Published

1 year ago

September 20, 2023

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Refugee Agency, and the World Health Organisation have warned about the worsening health situation caused by the Sudan crisis.
The UN agencies made this known in a joint press statement yesterday.
According to UNHCR teams in Sudan’s White Nile state, more than 1,200 refugee children under five have died in nine camps in the period between May 15 and September 14, due to a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition.
The UNHCR also said over 3,100 suspected cases were reported within the same period and more than 500 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in other parts of the country, along with outbreaks of dengue and malaria, in a context of increased epidemic risk and challenges for epidemic control.
On April 15, fighting broke out in Khartoum, Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The war has displaced over four million people, including thousands who have been forced to flee across international borders.
“The world has the means and the money to prevent every one of these deaths from measles or malnutrition,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said today. “And yet dozens of children are dying every day – a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention. We can prevent more deaths, but need money for the response, access to those in need, and above all, an end to the fighting.”
“Health facilities are at breaking point, due to shortages of staff, life-saving medicine, and critical equipment, exacerbating current outbreaks and causing unnecessary deaths. Repeated attacks on health since the beginning of the conflict, including on personnel, patients and transportation of medical supplies, are also restricting the delivery of health services.
“Local health workers, with the help of WHO and partners, are doing all they can, in very difficult conditions. But they desperately need the support of the international community to prevent further deaths and the spread of outbreaks”, said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.
“We call on donors to be generous and on the warring parties to protect health workers and access to health for all those who need it.”
The statement noted that in Renk, South Sudan, humanitarian partners report increasing cases of children arriving with measles and high rates of malnutrition from Sudan, mainly from White Nile.
“The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan, over 5770 suspected cases of measles have been reported with 142 deaths. Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all cases and 76 per cent of all deaths. Half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunisation, especially amongst returnees and refugees. On average 103 children per month were admitted in health facilities for moderate or severe malnutrition between May and July, up from 14 total admissions before the conflict.
“The situation is just as worrisome in Ethiopia’s Amhara region where a cholera outbreak in Metema is fast evolving in sites hosting over 18,000 people who have fled the conflict in Sudan. As of September 12, eight people have died from cholera among 435 reported suspected cases.
“Cholera vaccine stocks for routine immunisation are also running low, putting refugees at risk of further infections. The lack of ambulances to transport and refer patients for further care, insufficient medical equipment for treatment and a shortage of critical health staff are putting lives at risk and seriously hampering the humanitarian response.
“In a recent screening exercise in Chad, nearly 13,000 children below five were found to be acutely malnourished. The number of children with malnutrition being admitted to hospitals has increased by 56 per cent across the province of Ouaddai, which is hosting more than 80 per cent of the refugees, since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan.
“The high prevalence of malnutrition among incoming refugees reflects the very dire situation of the people in Darfur, fleeing across to Chad,” the statement noted.
It added that acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and malaria remain the three most frequent illnesses among children. Access to clean drinking water is also a major challenge, with families only receiving five litres per person, only one-third of what is recommended.
It said the UNHCR, WHO and partners are working to provide in urgent assistance inside Sudan and across borders and prevent more deaths.

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Nigeria’s Rail Transport Generated N1.69bn In Q2 -NBS report

Published

21 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian rail system generated N1.69billionn in revenue from passengers in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a 53.14 per cent increase compared to the N1.10billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
This data was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its report released yesterday.
According to the report, a total of 689,263 passengers travelled by rail in Q2, representing a growth rate of 45.38 per cent compared to 474,117 passengers in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The volume of goods transported via rail also saw a significant increase, with 143,759 tons moved in Q2 2024, up from 56,936 tons in Q2 2023. Additionally, the Nigerian Railway Corporation reported a volume of 5,940 tons of goods transported through pipelines in Q2 2024, an increase from the 2,856 tons recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Revenue from goods conveyed via rail stood at N537.36m in Q2 2024, a remarkable increase of 206.68 per cent compared to N175.22m in Q2 2023. The movement of goods through pipelines also contributed to revenue generation, with N42.08m collected in Q2 2024, compared to N12.81million in Q2 2023.
Other revenue receipts amounted to N994.68million in Q2 2024, representing a staggering increase of 5,206.68 per cent from the N18.74m recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
In the first quarter, of 2024, The Tide source reported that Nigeria spent more on servicing the debt incurred for building its railways than the revenue generated by its railway system. The country spent 2,470 per cent more on railway debt servicing than it made from revenue from rail services in the first quarter of 2024.

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NDDC Unveils Initiative To Enhance Food Security In N’Delta

Published

21 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.
Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta.
He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.
“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.
Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.
“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.
The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.
According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security.

News

Tinubu Shelves UNGA79 Trip To Address National Challenges

Published

21 hours ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
In his stead, Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.
Tinubu “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed yesterday.
The statement is titled ‘Vice President Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly.’
It reads, “President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
“Therefore, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.”
Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” said Onanuga.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations,” will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024.