(Portland, OR) March 13, 2024 – Medical Teams International, a global health and humanitarian organization providing life-saving health care to people in crisis, has seen a dramatic spike in recent weeks in malnutrition cases in Sudan. The number of people we serve who are suffering from malnutrition, especially children, has risen exponentially.

The current, widespread hunger crisis in Sudan is a direct result of the violence, instability, and inaccessibility caused by the war. Nine in 10 people across the country face emergency levels of hunger and 18 million people are acutely food insecure, according to the World Food Program.

Medical Teams is providing direct health and nutrition services to refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities in Sudan, serving a catchment population of nearly one million people in two states: White Nile and Gedaref. Services include mobile healthcare, early detection and screening of acute malnutrition, nutrition surveillance, immunization, health monitoring, capacity-building, mental health support, and community training and awareness.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began on April 15, 2023 in Khartoum and quickly spread to neighboring cities and states. About 8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since mid-April, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, making it the world’s largest crisis of this kind. Conditions in the camps are unsafe and contribute to the spread of disease.

As a result of the ongoing conflict, many of Sudan’s hospitals and health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, along with other critical infrastructure. The situation is volatile, and capacity on the ground to deliver relief services varies across the country. Many humanitarian organizations have had to scale back their operations or leave the country, especially since the occupation of Al Jazirah state by militants, which is considered the “breadbasket of Sudan.”

“We desperately need more resources to help us save lives,” said Birhanu Waka, Medical Teams Sudan Country Director. “There is a high risk of famine in Sudan. People are facing incredibly difficult and heartbreaking choices as they try to feed their families. We are operating under stressful conditions, but we are dedicated to the people of Sudan, and we ask Americans to join us.”

In response to the large influx of refugees from northern Ethiopia into eastern Sudan that began in November 2020, Medical Teams began working in Sudan in January 2021. Since then, Medical Teams has been working directly with refugee settlements and local host communities to address the unique health needs they face. Medical Teams seeks to improve quality of care and helps to build connections to and trust in the local health system.

To make a donation to Medical Teams, visit https://donate.medicalteams.org/sudan-crisis

About Medical Teams International

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.

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