3.2 mln children under 5 projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in Sudan this year: U

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 3.2 million children under 5 are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year in war-torn and famine-afflicted Sudan, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

"Of these children, over 700,000 will likely suffer from severe acute malnutrition," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at a regular briefing, adding that the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is sounding the alarm.

Dujarric said Sudan is the site of the world's largest child displacement crisis, with 5 million children homeless because of the hostilities. Most children leave their homes with only the clothes on their backs, and their mothers often walk for days, sometimes up to 20 days, to reach a camp, looking for safety, food and basic shelter.

"And as the conflict rages on, families and communities trapped in the middle of it and in hard-to-reach areas are continuing to bear the brunt of the violence and the suffering," he said. "The lack of access to sufficient food and basic services in these hard-to-reach areas inside Sudan is likely to swell and the risk of destitution and death increases."

Dujarric said that UNICEF, working with humanitarian partners, continues to do its utmost to deliver safe and clean water and integrated health and nutrition services, including immunization, treatment of childhood illnesses and whatever possible to manage acute childhood malnutrition.

The spokesman reminded reporters that famine conditions are present in Zamzam, Al Salam, and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced people and the western Nuba Mountains.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Committee has projected that famine could spread to five additional regions of Sudan, including El Fasher, by the middle of this year, with 17 other areas at risk unless urgent intervention is managed.

"Immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access is essential in order for us and our partners to deliver humanitarian assistance," Dujarric said. "And we continue to urge governments to prioritize funding, ensure safe relief routes, and press all parties involved to just stop fighting."