UNICEF needs 174 mln USD to support children in Sudan

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it needs 174 million U.S. dollars to meet the needs of Sudanese children.

"UNICEF estimates 174 million dollars to reach 3.8 million children targeted for humanitarian and development assistance in Sudan," said UNICEF in a report Tuesday.

"In 2016, UNICEF will continue to work with partners, including the government of the Sudan, to reach children affected by conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and chronic underdevelopment, particularly in hard-to-reach areas," it noted.

It further pointed out that some two million children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition, with global acute malnutrition (GAM) at 16.3 percent, which is above emergency thresholds.

More than three million children have no access to basic education, and 3.8 million people do not have access to water and sanitation, it said.

Meanwhile, UNICEF noted that since late 2013, more than 198,000 South Sudanese have fled the war in the country and sought refuge in the Sudan, with more than 70 percent of those living in camps estimated to be children.

In 2015 UNICEF Sudan's appealed for 116.9 million dollars for emergency, while 42 percent of the appealed amount was funded, it noted.

Earlier, UNICEF disclosed that mortality rates among Sudanese children during their first months of life have increased to alarming levels, with 68 stillbirths out of 1,000.

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

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.

Sudan's government and the UNICEF Country Office have recently 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