As hostile armed forces in Sudan continue to fight, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm again on Tuesday regarding the escalating state of health emergency. The ongoing violent conflict, large-scale displacement, collapse of the healthcare system, and harsh conditions in refugee camps have collectively exacerbated this crisis.

In a report released on Tuesday, the World Health Organization pointed out that ongoing armed conflicts and large-scale population displacement, coupled with fragile health infrastructure and obstructed access to aid, may lead to large-scale disease transmission. The report urgently calls on the international community to provide immediate support to maintain the epidemic monitoring system, strengthen disease prevention and control, and ensure basic life-saving medical services.

Since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023, 14.5 million people have been displaced in Sudan -10.5 million of whom are internally displaced, and another 4 million have flooded into neighboring countries such as Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, and the Central African Republic - making this population migration crisis the largest in the world.

In Sudan, the conflict has severely damaged infrastructure, resulting in the complete paralysis of basic services and public facilities, and the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera and measles has also intensified.

UN Secretary General's spokesperson Dujarric reported at a press conference in New York on Tuesday that as fighting continues to escalate nationwide, the cholera outbreak in Khartoum state is worsening at an alarming rate, with the number of cases surging by 80% in the past two weeks.

Dujarric called for increased flexible and timely funding support to expand the scale of humanitarian response, while ensuring unimpeded access to all necessary routes so that humanitarian workers can reach any location where people in need are.

Crisis spreads overseas
The impact of this crisis has far exceeded within Sudan. As of May 7th, Egypt has received 1.5 million Sudanese refugees during the two-year conflict. Despite the expansion of medical coverage in the country, Sudanese refugees have to bear higher costs under the universal health insurance system. The WHO office in Egypt is working with the local government to strengthen health services and cover the most vulnerable groups.

However, with the influx of Sudanese refugees into overcrowded refugee camps throughout the region, the situation has become even more severe. In Chad, over 726000 people have flooded into the four eastern provinces that were already overwhelmed by other refugees, and the local medical needs are urgent.

Refugees are facing multiple epidemics such as malaria, measles, hepatitis E, and severe acute malnutrition. This year alone, over 650000 cases of malaria have been recorded nationwide, with 314 deaths.

South Sudan has taken in over 1.5 million people, including 352000 Sudanese refugees. However, the ongoing armed conflict and attacks on medical facilities in the host country have seriously hindered rescue operations and exacerbated the spread of diseases.

Currently, hunger and cholera outbreaks are particularly concerning: 7.7 million people across the country are facing severe food insecurity; Since late September, the number of cholera cases has exceeded 54800, resulting in 1000 deaths.

The World Health Organization continues to carry out assistance actions
Despite facing increasingly severe funding crises and daunting operational challenges, the World Health Organization and its partners are still insisting on providing assistance.

The current assistance includes supporting the operation of 136 nutrition rehabilitation centers, distributing medical supplies and providing diagnosis and treatment services, establishing cholera treatment stations, and repairing damaged medical infrastructure.

The organization calls on the international community to provide sustained support to prevent the worsening of the world's most serious humanitarian and public health crisis.