NAIROBI, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The international community should ramp up emergency aid for civilians affected by the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Sudan, fueled by conflict and climatic shocks, a global humanitarian medical charity said Friday.

Claire San Filippo, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency coordinator in Sudan, told a media briefing in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that victims of the ongoing strife and extreme weather events in Sudan are grappling with multiple threats to their livelihoods and required urgent support.

Filippo noted that Sudan remained one of the world's major flashpoints, characterized by mass displacement of civilians, hunger, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks. "We are talking about 11 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, very often in multiple locations."

Citing the United Nations, Filippo said 25 million people in Sudan need humanitarian aid, and an additional 25.6 million are acutely malnourished.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been plagued by a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has resulted in at least 16,650 deaths and the displacement of millions of people.

In the violence hotspots, Filippo said an acute malnutrition rate of over 32 percent, higher than the World Health Organization emergency threshold of 15 percent, has been recorded.

She observed that the recent flooding in some parts of Sudan depressed crop yield, hampering efforts to eradicate the hunger and malnutrition crisis.

Lisa Searle, project coordinator for Omdurman, Khartoum, at MSF, said the conflict in Sudan has worsened health outcomes for civilians amid disruptions to routine immunization and inability to access health centers.

According to Searle, gender-based violence, a mental health crisis, and deaths linked to vaccine-preventable diseases have escalated in Sudan amid ongoing conflict.

She called for intensifying vaccination, nutritional support, and the provision of clean drinking water at camps for internally displaced persons to boost health outcomes for women and children. Enditem

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