Beijing, China - September 18, 2024

Sudan hosts an estimated 10.87 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) as of September 10, 2024, said an International Organization for Migration (IOM) report released on Tuesday.

An estimated 8.11 million individuals have been displaced internally and more than 2.34 million individuals have reportedly crossed borders into neighboring countries since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, according to IOM.

Khartoum represents the top state of origin for IDPs, followed by South Darfur and North Darfur states, said the report, adding about 52 percent of the IDPs are children under 18.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Sudan Sheldon Yett said in a statement on Tuesday that an estimated 3.4 million children under five in Sudan are at high risk of deadly epidemic diseases such as cholera, malaria, dengue fever and measles.

With heavy rains and flooding in the country, diseases can spread more rapidly and severely worsen the outlook for the children in the affected states and beyond, Yett said.

The crises stem from significant declines in vaccination rates and the destruction of health, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure due to the ongoing internal conflict, he said, adding that the deteriorating nutritional status of many children in Sudan puts them at even greater risk.

According to UNICEF, the vaccination coverage in Sudan has plummeted to some 50 percent from 85 percent before the internal conflict, and in active conflict zones the rates are averaging at 30 percent.

Sudan's Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim officially declared a cholera outbreak in the country on Aug. 17. The ministry attributed the spread of cholera to deteriorating environmental conditions caused by the conflict and the use of unclean water.

Sudan's Health Ministry said Tuesday that 10,022 cases of cholera, including 328 deaths, had been recorded in the country between July 15 and this Monday.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has resulted in at least 23,000 deaths.

Shotlist:
Beijing, China - Sept 18, 2024:
1. Screenshot of International Organization for Migration (IOM) report;
FILE: Port Sudan, Sudan - July 2024
2. Various of displaced people at camp;
FILE: Port Sudan, Sudan - June 14, 2024
3. Various of displaced children, adults at camp;
FILE: Port Sudan, Sudan - July 2024
4. Various of displaced people at camp, waiting in line for relief supplies;
FILE: Port Sudan, Sudan - January 2024
5. Displaced people waiting in line for relief supplies;
FILE: Khartoum, Sudan - July 5, 2023
6. Various of dense smoke rising from conflict zone;
FILE: Greater Capital Area, Sudan - 2023
7. Various of charred vehicles.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya TV/Middle East Broadcasting Center]