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Roundup: UN statistics paint gloomy picture of Sudanese childrens' lives

Xinhua, November 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Recent UN statistics have painted a gloomy picture concerning Sudanese children's lives, who face increasing mortality rates, malnutrition and relentless recruitment, as well as child abuse, in conflict zones.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced in a recent press release that mortality rates among Sudanese children during their first months of life have increased to alarming levels, with 68 stillbirths out of 1,000.

UNICEF has disclosed its plans and programs, in coordination with the Sudanese Health Ministry, toward reducing these rates.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi, upon ending his visit to Sudan Sunday, said that "Early childhood mortality rates is related to the mother's health and nutrition and birth particularities."

"Vaccines and proper environmental management can prevent the death of six percent of children's deaths caused by diseases," he noted.

UNICEF seeks to enhance immunization operations in Sudan, particularly in conflict zones, and Abdi confirmed that Sudanese officials support the immunization of children in rebel-controlled areas in both the Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions by sending the vaccines via Khartoum.

Abdi added that UNICEF will persist in attempting to persuade rebels of the decision, reiterating that Sudanese children still face several challenges as indicators show no improvement in conflict zones.

UNICEF had also previously warned against children's deteriorating conditions in eastern Sudan due to malnutrition, mainly expressing concern over spreading malnutrition in Sudan's conflict zones, namely Darfur, and the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

"Malnutrition is worse in eastern Sudan than in Darfur," Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF resident representative in Sudan, said in Khartoum Sunday.

According to Cappelaere, UNICEF will launch an appeal stipulating a budget addressing malnutrition in addition to installing an office in eastern Sudan, thereby strengthening its presence there.

For the time being, Sudan's health ministry's fresh statistics indicate that malnutrition surpasses eight known causes of children's deaths including malaria, blood poisoning, pneumonia, dehydration, gastroenteritis, anemia and heart disease.

"Poverty, armed conflict, displacement, challenging economic conditions and high prices all contribute to the spread of malnutrition," Dr. Abdul-Basit Al-Mahi, a Sudanese physician and child healthcare activist, informed Xinhua.

"Malnutrition destroys any plan working toward improving Sudanese children's conditions. Without addressing the reasons behind its spread, child mortality rates will not decrease, particularly among children below two-years-old, when they should usually be breastfed," he noted.

He went on to say, "We need to improve the mother's health as well as her economic status. In addition, we must change social traditions in order to encourage women to breastfeed since this is an indispensable nutritional source for children below two-years-old."

According to the multi-sector cluster survey conducted by UNICEF in 2015, and despite advantages achieved through official efforts, it seems unlikely that Sudan will reach the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs), including reducing child mortality rates.

Malnutrition was slated as the most important factor behind children's diseases and deaths.

Over and above, one million children in Sudan do not attend school. UNICEF indicated the situation was exacerbated by decades of internal conflicts, instability, natural disasters and chronic food uncertainty.

Sudan's government and the UNICEF Country Office, announced several national priority programs addressing malnutrition and reducing children's mortality rates, through affording employment for families and communities thereby supporting the children's best interests.

The programs will also ensure that children in conflict zones be both vaccinated and supported through basic social services, as well as the enrollment of one million children into schools by 2017.

Furthermore, the programs both support and protect children from abuse, exploitation and violence, particularly children in conflict zones. Endit