عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

WHO Expects 39% Malnutrition in Sudan

Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director of the World Health Organization's office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director of the World Health Organization's office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

WHO Expects 39% Malnutrition in Sudan

Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director of the World Health Organization's office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director of the World Health Organization's office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The World Health Organization has warned Thursday that the relentless fighting raging in Sudan since April limits access to medicines, medical supplies, electricity and water, expecting malnutrition to reach 39 percent of the population over the next six months.

“The conflict in Sudan limits the provision of health care in the states directly affected by the conflict,” Ahmed Al-Mandhari, regional director of the World Health Organization's office for the Eastern Mediterranean said.

Even in Sudanese states that did not witness any fighting, they suffer from lack of supplies, especially with the influx of displaced people from conflict zones, he said.

The WHO regional director stated that violence in Sudan has killed 1,205 people and injured 12,200 people until early August.

Al-Mandhari also noted that due to the conflict and displacement, there are 24.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid in Sudan, with 18.1 million people now targeted to receive humanitarian aid as per the revised Humanitarian Response Plan launched in May 2023.

Meanwhile, an estimated 11 million people in Sudan need urgent health assistance.

Moreover, about 4 million children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women, are acutely malnourished, and over 100 000 under-five children with severe acute malnutrition with medical complications need specialized care at stabilization centers.

Al-Mandhari expected that the malnutrition rate for the next six months would reach 39 percent in Sudan.

Hospitals, ambulances, supplies, warehouses, health workers and patients have been attacked in Sudan; WHO verified 51 attacks between 15 April and 24 July 2023.

The WHO regional director warned that four states hosting the influx of people from Sudan suffer from the risks of diseases spreading, including malaria and cholera.

Al-Mandhari said the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and WHO Regional Office for Africa are coordinating the health response across borders in neighboring countries for health care, including emergency care and psychosocial support for Sudanese and other nationals fleeing the fighting in Sudan.

He also said that WHO is responding in each country by working with Ministries of Health and partner organizations to coordinate the health response, providing emergency medical supplies for trauma victims as well as basic mental healthcare, and disease prevention activities.

With medical supplies in high-demand, Al-Mandhari said WHO also helps procure and deliver the most needed items to hospitals and clinics.

He said WHO remains committed to guarantee the delivery of healthcare services and vital medical supplies to the affected population in Sudan.

Health workers are trained by WHO to treat people and save lives, including more than 2.2 million people displaced within Sudan, Al-Mandhari affirmed.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israel Says Military Operation Against Hezbollah 'Still Not Complete'

A man next to an ambulance looks at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
A man next to an ambulance looks at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
TT
TT

Israel Says Military Operation Against Hezbollah 'Still Not Complete'

A man next to an ambulance looks at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
A man next to an ambulance looks at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

Israel's defense minister said on Friday that the campaign against Hezbollah was not yet complete, just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into force in Lebanon.

He also warned that if the fighting resumed, displaced residents returning to the country's war-torn south would have to evacuate again.

"The ground maneuver into Lebanon and the strikes on Hezbollah have achieved many gains, but they are still not complete," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a broadcast statement.

There remained areas of the south that had not yet been cleared of Hezbollah militants, which would have to happen one way or another, he added.

"The area between the security zone and the Litani (River) line, which is currently under our control, has not yet been cleared of terrorists and weapons," Katz warned.

"This will have to be carried out either through diplomatic means or by continued IDF activity once the ceasefire ends."

As the truce took effect at midnight (2100 GMT), thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians began heading south, hoping to return to their homes.

But Katz said a fresh bout of fighting could force them to leave again.

"If the fighting resumes, those residents who return to the security zone will have to be evacuated to allow completion of the mission," AFP quoted him as saying.

According to details of the truce released by the US State Department, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting Hezbollah to prevent "planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks".

Israel, whose troops are occupying parts of southern Lebanon, has also said it will maintain a 10-kilometer (six-mile) security zone it has established along the border.

"The security zone has been cleared of militants and weapons, is empty of residents, and will continue to be cleared of terrorist infrastructure, including the destruction of homes in front-line villages that have effectively become terrorist outposts," Katz said.

The details of the truce also stipulate that Lebanon "with international support... will take meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah" from undertaking any attacks against Israeli targets.

Arab World

Beirut Conference Sees Wide Consensus Over Weapons-free Capital

Members of the military at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday April 8, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir 
Members of the military at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday April 8, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir 
TT
TT

Beirut Conference Sees Wide Consensus Over Weapons-free Capital

Members of the military at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday April 8, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir 
Members of the military at the site of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday April 8, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut, Lebanon, April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir 

Beirut MPs representing most of Lebanon’s political parties met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free,” following recent security incidents and Israeli strikes.

The conference brought together most factions, except MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya.

Despite political divisions, participants struck a unified rhetoric, calling for all weapons to be placed exclusively under state control and for a stronger presence of official institutions, chiefly the Lebanese Army, across the capital to ensure stability and restore public confidence in security.

MP Fouad Makhzoumi said Beirut “deserves to be protected together” and would remain “a city that embraces everyone,” describing the “Black Wednesday” as a serious warning of the risks still facing the capital.

He called for the army to deploy across all neighborhoods, for checkpoints to be reinforced and for effective security oversight, stressing that state-building requires a monopoly on arms “without exception.”

He further stressed all necessary measures should be taken to restore order, “up to declaring general mobilization if needed.”

For his part, MP Ghassan Hasbani of the Lebanese Forces said the meeting reflected a national stance tied to the responsibility of representing Beirut’s residents. He voiced support for state efforts to assert full authority, confiscate illegal weapons and treat any armed activity outside state control as a direct threat to the capital’s security and stability.

Kataeb Party lawmaker Nadim Gemayel noted that Lebanon should no longer be used as a bargaining chip by external actors, calling for firm implementation of government decisions and for the army to deploy across the country, starting with Beirut, to protect citizens and reinforce sovereignty.

Similarly, MP Ibrahim Mneimneh said Hezbollah had dragged Lebanon into a conflict unrelated to it, exposing the country to heavy losses, while Beirut and other regions paid the price in security and stability. He stressed that the current phase required restoring state authority and ensuring its exclusive control over arms.

MP Waddah Sadeq said the Lebanese “have the right to loyalty to Lebanon alone,” urging support for what he described as “historic” government decisions. He called for unity under a state based on institutions and the rule of law, and for security forces to fully carry out their duties.

MP Nicolas Sehnaoui of the Free Patriotic Movement highlighted the need for an inclusive national approach to rebuild trust in the state, stressing that limiting arms to the army and legitimate forces remains essential, while avoiding exclusionary rhetoric.

Lawmaker Edgar Traboulsi said Beirut, despite wars and crises, “does not die,” but needs unity and solidarity free from division and incitement.

MP Faisal Sayegh of the Progressive Socialist Party stated that Beirut’s security is inseparable from Lebanon’s, calling for adherence to sovereignty and independence and implementation of the Taif Agreement and relevant government decisions.

Arab World

Beirut Conference Sees Wide Consensus Over Weapons-free Capital

Beirut MPs met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free." Asharq Al-Awsat
Beirut MPs met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free." Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

Beirut Conference Sees Wide Consensus Over Weapons-free Capital

Beirut MPs met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free." Asharq Al-Awsat
Beirut MPs met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free." Asharq Al-Awsat

Beirut MPs representing most of Lebanon’s political parties met in the capital to support a government move declaring the city “safe and weapons-free,” following recent security incidents and Israeli strikes.

The conference brought together most factions, except MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya.

Despite political divisions, participants struck a unified rhetoric, calling for all weapons to be placed exclusively under state control and for a stronger presence of official institutions, chiefly the Lebanese Army, across the capital to ensure stability and restore public confidence in security.

MP Fouad Makhzoumi said Beirut “deserves to be protected together” and would remain “a city that embraces everyone,” describing the “Black Wednesday” as a serious warning of the risks still facing the capital.

He called for the army to deploy across all neighborhoods, for checkpoints to be reinforced and for effective security oversight, stressing that state-building requires a monopoly on arms “without exception.”

He further stressed all necessary measures should be taken to restore order, “up to declaring general mobilization if needed.”

For his part, MP Ghassan Hasbani of the Lebanese Forces said the meeting reflected a national stance tied to the responsibility of representing Beirut’s residents. He voiced support for state efforts to assert full authority, confiscate illegal weapons and treat any armed activity outside state control as a direct threat to the capital’s security and stability.

Kataeb Party lawmaker Nadim Gemayel noted that Lebanon should no longer be used as a bargaining chip by external actors, calling for firm implementation of government decisions and for the army to deploy across the country, starting with Beirut, to protect citizens and reinforce sovereignty.

Similarly, MP Ibrahim Mneimneh said Hezbollah had dragged Lebanon into a conflict unrelated to it, exposing the country to heavy losses, while Beirut and other regions paid the price in security and stability. He stressed that the current phase required restoring state authority and ensuring its exclusive control over arms.

MP Waddah Sadeq said the Lebanese “have the right to loyalty to Lebanon alone,” urging support for what he described as “historic” government decisions. He called for unity under a state based on institutions and the rule of law, and for security forces to fully carry out their duties.

MP Nicolas Sehnaoui of the Free Patriotic Movement highlighted the need for an inclusive national approach to rebuild trust in the state, stressing that limiting arms to the army and legitimate forces remains essential, while avoiding exclusionary rhetoric.

Lawmaker Edgar Traboulsi said Beirut, despite wars and crises, “does not die,” but needs unity and solidarity free from division and incitement.

MP Faisal Sayegh of the Progressive Socialist Party stated that Beirut’s security is inseparable from Lebanon’s, calling for adherence to sovereignty and independence and implementation of the Taif Agreement and relevant government decisions.