GENEVA / SUDAN HEALTH EMERGENCY
19-Sep-2023
00:03:43
A deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition have led to the deaths of 1,200 refugee children under five in Sudan’s White Nile State while many thousands more, including newborns, are at risk of death before year-end, warned UN humanitarians. UNTV CH
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STORY: GENEVA / SUDAN HEALTH EMERGENCY
TRT: 03:25
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 SEPTEMBER 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
TRT: 03:25
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 SEPTEMBER 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Med shot, UN flag alley, UN Geneva
2. Wide shot, speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“More than 1,200 refugee children under five have died in nine camps in the period between 15th May and 14th September. This is due to a combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Over 3,000 suspected cases of measles have been reported in the same period.”
4. Wide shot, attendees, cameramen/women and sound engineers at the press conference, screens with speaker
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan over 5,000 suspected cases of measles have been reported, with over 140 deaths so far. Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all cases and 76 percent of all the deaths.”
6. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“Half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunization, 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.”
8. Wide shot, attendees at the press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“UNICEF fears that many thousands of newborns will die between now and the end of the year. 330,000 children will be born in Sudan between October and December. They and their mothers, as you heard, do need skilled delivery care rather in a country where millions are trapped, millions are lacking access to those basic healthcare services, and there are of course grave shortages of medical supply. Such care is becoming less and less likely by the day”.
10. Med shot, cameraman and camerawoman at the press conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“Every month, 55,000 children require treatment for the most lethal form of malnutrition and yet in Khartoum, one in 50 nutrition centers is functional. In West Darfur, it's one in ten.”
12. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“The most recent official casualty figures for children killed in this conflict by fighting are 435. Given the utter devastation that you've heard to those lifesaving services, UNICEF fears Sudan's youngest citizens are entering a period of unprecedented mortality.”
14. Wide shot, speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead, World Health Organization (WHO):
“3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with close to 700,000 who are severely malnourished and among these 100,000 are acutely malnourished with medical complications.”
16. Med shot, press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Against the background context of attacks on healthcare, scarcity of medical supplies and equipment, health workers and cash to cover operational cost. About 70 to 80 percent of hospitals in conflict affected states are nonfunctional, and the operational hospitals and clinics in non- conflict affected states are overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons. Even before the conflict erupted in April, the baseline was already grim.”
18. Med shot, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
19. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
20. Med shot, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
2. Wide shot, speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“More than 1,200 refugee children under five have died in nine camps in the period between 15th May and 14th September. This is due to a combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Over 3,000 suspected cases of measles have been reported in the same period.”
4. Wide shot, attendees, cameramen/women and sound engineers at the press conference, screens with speaker
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan over 5,000 suspected cases of measles have been reported, with over 140 deaths so far. Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all cases and 76 percent of all the deaths.”
6. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“Half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunization, 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.”
8. Wide shot, attendees at the press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“UNICEF fears that many thousands of newborns will die between now and the end of the year. 330,000 children will be born in Sudan between October and December. They and their mothers, as you heard, do need skilled delivery care rather in a country where millions are trapped, millions are lacking access to those basic healthcare services, and there are of course grave shortages of medical supply. Such care is becoming less and less likely by the day”.
10. Med shot, cameraman and camerawoman at the press conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“Every month, 55,000 children require treatment for the most lethal form of malnutrition and yet in Khartoum, one in 50 nutrition centers is functional. In West Darfur, it's one in ten.”
12. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) James Elder, Spokesperson, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“The most recent official casualty figures for children killed in this conflict by fighting are 435. Given the utter devastation that you've heard to those lifesaving services, UNICEF fears Sudan's youngest citizens are entering a period of unprecedented mortality.”
14. Wide shot, speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead, World Health Organization (WHO):
“3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with close to 700,000 who are severely malnourished and among these 100,000 are acutely malnourished with medical complications.”
16. Med shot, press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Against the background context of attacks on healthcare, scarcity of medical supplies and equipment, health workers and cash to cover operational cost. About 70 to 80 percent of hospitals in conflict affected states are nonfunctional, and the operational hospitals and clinics in non- conflict affected states are overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons. Even before the conflict erupted in April, the baseline was already grim.”
18. Med shot, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
19. Med shot, attendees at the press conference
20. Med shot, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
STORYLINE
A deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition have led to the deaths of 1,200 refugee children under five in Sudan’s White Nile State while many thousands more, including newborns, are at risk of death before year-end, warned UN humanitarians on Tuesday (19 Sep).
”More than 1,200 refugee children under five have died in nine camps in the period between 15th May and 14th September,” said Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). “This is due to a combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Over 3000 suspected cases of measles have been reported in the same period.”
Since fighting erupted in April between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, the country's healthcare sector is on its knees due to direct attacks from the warring parties as well as shortages of staff and medicines, the World Health Organization told reporters in Geneva.
“The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan over 5000 suspected cases of measles have been reported, with over 140 deaths so far. Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all cases and 76 percent of all the deaths”, said Dr. Maina.
He added that “half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunization, 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.”
According to James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson “every month, 55,000 children require treatment for the most lethal form of malnutrition and yet in Khartoum, one in 50 nutrition centers is functional. In West Darfur, it's one in ten.”
Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead of the world Health Organization (WHO) said that “3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with close to 700,000 who are severely malnourished and among these 100,000 are acutely malnourished with medical complications.”
Since the start of the war, WHO has verified 56 attacks on health care with 22 deaths and 38 injuries.
“Against the background context of attacks on healthcare, scarcity of medical supplies and equipment, health workers and cash to cover operational cost,” said WHO’s Dr. Noor. “About 70 to 80 percent of hospitals in conflict affected states are nonfunctional, and the operational hospitals and clinics in non- conflict affected states are overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons. Even before the conflict erupted in April, the baseline was already grim.”
With the lack of access to treatment, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that “many thousands of newborns” may die in Sudan by the end of the year.
“UNICEF fears that many thousands of newborns will die between now and the end of the year”, said James Elder, UNICEF’s spokesperson. “330,000 children will be born in Sudan between October and December. They and their mothers, as you heard, do need skilled delivery care rather in a country where millions are trapped, millions are lacking access to those basic healthcare services, and there are of course grave shortages of medical supply. Such care is becoming less and less likely by the day.”
However, not only disease and malnutrition are taking the children’s life in Sudan, they are also directly impacted by the ongoing fighting.
“The most recent official casualty figures for children killed in this conflict by fighting are 435”, said UNICEF’s Mr. Elder. “Given the utter devastation that you've heard to those lifesaving services, UNICEF fears Sudan's youngest citizens are entering a period of unprecedented mortality.”
The UN’s 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan launched in May remains only 30 percent funded.
”More than 1,200 refugee children under five have died in nine camps in the period between 15th May and 14th September,” said Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). “This is due to a combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Over 3000 suspected cases of measles have been reported in the same period.”
Since fighting erupted in April between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, the country's healthcare sector is on its knees due to direct attacks from the warring parties as well as shortages of staff and medicines, the World Health Organization told reporters in Geneva.
“The malnutrition situation in the country is deepening at a rapid scale. Across South Sudan over 5000 suspected cases of measles have been reported, with over 140 deaths so far. Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all cases and 76 percent of all the deaths”, said Dr. Maina.
He added that “half of the affected children were unvaccinated against measles, highlighting gaps in immunization, 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.”
According to James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson “every month, 55,000 children require treatment for the most lethal form of malnutrition and yet in Khartoum, one in 50 nutrition centers is functional. In West Darfur, it's one in ten.”
Dr Ilham Noor, Sudan Health Operations Team Lead of the world Health Organization (WHO) said that “3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with close to 700,000 who are severely malnourished and among these 100,000 are acutely malnourished with medical complications.”
Since the start of the war, WHO has verified 56 attacks on health care with 22 deaths and 38 injuries.
“Against the background context of attacks on healthcare, scarcity of medical supplies and equipment, health workers and cash to cover operational cost,” said WHO’s Dr. Noor. “About 70 to 80 percent of hospitals in conflict affected states are nonfunctional, and the operational hospitals and clinics in non- conflict affected states are overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons. Even before the conflict erupted in April, the baseline was already grim.”
With the lack of access to treatment, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that “many thousands of newborns” may die in Sudan by the end of the year.
“UNICEF fears that many thousands of newborns will die between now and the end of the year”, said James Elder, UNICEF’s spokesperson. “330,000 children will be born in Sudan between October and December. They and their mothers, as you heard, do need skilled delivery care rather in a country where millions are trapped, millions are lacking access to those basic healthcare services, and there are of course grave shortages of medical supply. Such care is becoming less and less likely by the day.”
However, not only disease and malnutrition are taking the children’s life in Sudan, they are also directly impacted by the ongoing fighting.
“The most recent official casualty figures for children killed in this conflict by fighting are 435”, said UNICEF’s Mr. Elder. “Given the utter devastation that you've heard to those lifesaving services, UNICEF fears Sudan's youngest citizens are entering a period of unprecedented mortality.”
The UN’s 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan launched in May remains only 30 percent funded.
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