Honourable Minister Dr Heitham AwadAllah,
Honourable Minister Dr Salma Khalaf,
Honourable Undersecretary Dr Ahmed Almandhari,
Executive Director Dr Mohanad Elnsour,
GAVI CEO Dr Sania Nishtar,
Regional Director Dr Hanan Balky,
Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
I thank the government of Sudan for convening this important meeting.
The two-year conflict has plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis of disease, hunger, displacement, and despair.
An estimated 40,000 people have been killed, 30% of the population is displaced and 20 million people need health assistance.
I visited Sudan in September last year, where I saw the effects of the civil war and met people who are paying the price.
The following week I was in Chad, where I travelled to the border town of Adré and met some of the 900,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled, seeking security and food.
Much of Sudan’s population lacks access to health care and other basic services. In large parts of the country, health facilities are only partially functional or not working at all.
There are multiple disease outbreaks, including more than 3.5 million estimated cases of malaria, 62,000 cases of cholera, as well as dengue and measles.
Immunization rates have plunged to below 50%, from 85% before the war.
Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, affecting nearly 25 million people.
An estimated 770,000 children under five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. It goes without saying that a hunger crisis is a health crisis.
The situation will only deteriorate further with the recurrent attacks on water, electricity and other vital infrastructure.
Health care is also coming under attack. Since the conflict began, attacks on health facilities, ambulances, patients and health workers have caused more than 1,121 deaths and 333 injuries.
I commend especially the health workers in Sudan for their dedication under unimaginable hardship. WHO stands with you.
WHO is working with the Federal Ministry of Health, coordinating 41 partners to support 1,200 health facilities, and distribute over 2,500 metric tons of medicines and supplies.
Over one million people have been treated at WHO-supported hospitals, including nearly 75,000 children under five for complicated severe acute malnutrition.
More than 30 million people have been reached with vaccines for either cholera, measles, or polio. We must continue to vaccinate in hard-to-reach areas, and stop these preventable deaths.
Excellencies, colleagues, I have four requests:
First, we need unimpeded access and international support for cross-border humanitarian operations, and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles.
Second, we must protect vital civilian infrastructure. Recent drone attacks on Port Sudan and other locations crucial to receiving humanitarian aid are especially worrying.
Third, healthcare must never be a target. Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law.
And fourth, partners and donors must step up. In this time of severe resource constraints, we are already having to significantly scale back the number of people targeted for assistance.
I call on all of you to raise your voices with partners and donors to fill this huge gap. The people of Sudan need you now.
I thank you.