GENEVA: UNICEF said on Friday that 700,000 children in Sudan were likely to suffer from the worst form of malnutrition this year, with tens of thousands who could die.
A 10-month war in Sudan between its armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompted warnings of famine and displaced millions of people inside and outside the country.
“The consequences of the past 300 days means that more than 700,000 children are likely to suffer from the deadliest form of malnutrition this year,” James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told a press conference in Geneva.
“UNICEF won’t be able to treat more than 300,000 of those without improved access and without additional support. In that case, tens of thousands would likely die.”
Elder defined the most dangerous form of malnutrition as severe acute malnutrition, which makes a child 10 more likely to die from diseases such as cholera and malaria. He said 3.5 million children were projected to suffer acute malnutrition.
UNICEF provides “ready-to-use therapeutic food,” or RUTF, a life-saving food item that treats severe wasting in children under five years old, to Sudan.
UNICEF is appealing for $840 million to help just over 7.5 million children in Sudan this year, but Elder deplored the lack of funds collected in previous appeals.
“Despite the magnitude of needs, last year the funding UNICEF sought for nearly three-quarters of children in Sudan was not forthcoming,” Elder said.
The United Nations on Wednesday urged countries not to forget the civilians caught up in the war in Sudan, appealing for $4.1 billion to meet their humanitarian needs and support those who have fled to neighboring countries.
Half of Sudan’s population — around 25 million people — need humanitarian assistance and protection, while more than 1.5 million people have fled to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the United Nations.
UNICEF says 700,000 children in Sudan at risk of worst form of malnutrition
https://arab.news/6v9fs
UNICEF says 700,000 children in Sudan at risk of worst form of malnutrition
- A 10-month war in Sudan has devastated the country’s infrastructure
- Conflict has prompted warnings of famine and displaced millions of people
What we know about alleged strike on Iran school
- The New York Times has authenticated video uploaded by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News showing a US Tomahawk cruise missile striking a structure described as a clinic inside a Revolutionary Guards’ base next to the school
PARIS, France: A new investigation by the New York Times has shed more light on events surrounding a reported attack on a school in Iran at the start of the Middle East war.
Iran has accused Israel and the United States of conducting a strike on an elementary school in the southern city of Minab, which it said killed more than 150 people.
US President Donald Trump has blamed Iran, while the Pentagon has said it is investigating the incident.
AFP has been unable to access the location to independently verify the circumstances or the toll from any such incident.
Iranian authorities have to give explicit approval to foreign media organizations wishing to report outside Tehran.
- Tomahawk -
The New York Times has authenticated video uploaded by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News showing a US Tomahawk cruise missile striking a structure described as a clinic inside a Revolutionary Guards’ base next to the school.
According to the Times, in this war, the only military using Tomahawks is the United States.
The footage showed dust and smoke rising from the direction of the school, indicating at least one earlier explosion.
“A body of evidence assembled by The Times — including satellite imagery, social media posts and other verified videos — indicates that the SHajjarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was severely damaged by a precision strike that occurred at the same time as attacks on the naval base,” the paper said.
US Central Command has released footage of Tomahawk launches filmed on February 28, the day Minab was hit, while senior US officers briefed that early salvoes included Navy Tomahawks across Iran’s southern flank.
The Times had previously reported that US military statements indicating forces were attacking naval targets near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where a Revolutionary Guards’ base is located, “suggest they were most likely to have carried out the strike.”
- Near strategic waterway -
Earlier footage filmed from a parking lot showed black smoke billowing from a damaged building adorned with murals featuring drawings of crayons, children and an apple.
AFP has geolocated the clip to a building in Minab, though it has not been able to independently verify the nature of the site.
AFP has confirmed the building was located in close proximity to two sites controlled by the Revolutionary Guards.
The Shahid Absalan clinic, under the supervision of the Guards navy’s medical command, lies 238 meters (780 feet) from the site, while the Seyed Al-Shohada IRGC cultural complex is 286 meters away.
AFP could not independently verify the date the footage from the car park was filmed.
- What Iran says -
Iran has said more than 150 people were killed in what President Masoud Pezeshkian described as US-Israeli strikes on the school.
According to state media, Iran held funerals for at least 165 people including students killed in the alleged attack.
State television carried images showing a large crowd of mourners weeping over what appeared to be bodies wrapped in white shrouds.
Other images released by state media showed individuals preparing coffins draped in the Iranian flag — some bearing photographs of children.
Another aerial image showed excavators digging out at least 100 graves at an unidentified mass burial site.
AFP has been unable to independently verify the date the images were taken or access the location to verify the circumstances surrounding the events.
- Trump blames Iran -
President Trump has blamed Iran.
“We think it was done by Iran. Because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday.
On Monday, Trump said the United States was investigating the strike “right now.”
“Whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report,” Trump said, adding he did not “know enough about” the strike while also suggesting Iran may have used a Tomahawk missile — a weapon it does not possess — to hit the school itself.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week said the United States would not intentionally target a school and said the Pentagon was investigating.
“The United States would not deliberately target a school. Our objectives are missiles, both the ability to manufacture them and the ability to launch them,” he told reporters.
US Democratic lawmakers on Monday urged the Pentagon to conduct an impartial probe into what happened.
- Israel not aware -
Israel’s military said it was not aware of any US or Israeli strike on a school.
“At this point not aware of an Israeli or an American strike there... We’re operating in an extremely accurate manner,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
- Human rights group -
Norway-based rights group Hengaw said the school was holding its morning session at the time of the reported attack and had about 170 students present.
