Day: July 3, 2023

There has been a rise in the number of measles cases in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, because the ongoing conflict is preventing vaccinations, a paediatrician has told the BBC.

Speaking to the Sudan Lifeline programme, Dr Mohamed al-Taher, who is based in Khartoum, said there was a shortage of vaccines, which could lead to the outbreak of diseases among children.

“Vaccination is the responsibility of the ministry of health, yet the ministry cannot carry out its role as regards the vaccination process,” he said..

“There is a shortage in the measles vaccine and a number of cases have already occurred among children and they are expected to be very severe… it will be very severe because their bodies will not be resisting it.”

With frequent aerial bombardment and clashes in densely populated urban areas, it’s extremely dangerous to try to reach clinics.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has warned that as people flee their homes there are increasing cases of measles and malnutrition in camps in White Nile state, south of the capital.

MSF says communities have reported a rise in child mortality much of it due to suspected cases of measles.

Source: BBC

South Sudan’s Catholic bishops are calling for urgent intervention by the international community to help resolve the conflict in neighbouring Sudan and to provide humanitarian assistance to the needy people.

A letter signed by eight bishops addressed to the government of South Sudan, the international community and humanitarian agencies, called for provision of aid – both within Sudan and in South Sudan – and in other neighbouring countries which are hosting Sudanese refugees.

They said in order to reduce the suffering of the people of Sudan, the way forward is a peace process not war.

“We are deeply concerned about the regional and international components to the conflict [in Sudan]. The conflict is destabilising the region which is already fragile and weakened by internal conflicts,” the bishops said.

A joint effort by the US and Saudi Arabia to broker ceasefires has had limited success. A regional African mission to find peace has so far not made any progress.

Over 130,000 people have fled the fighting and crossed into South Sudan. Most were returning citizens but among them are 10,000 Sudanese refugees, according to a UN estimate.

Most Sudanese refugess have gone to Egypt and Chad.

Source: BBC

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, on Monday welcomed member of the French Senate and the Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces, Joel Gario-Mailam. Discussions reportedly touched on the displaced Syrians’ dossier, local and regional developments, and the importance of the relationship between Lebanon and France.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Minister of National Defense, Maurice Sleem, on Monday welcomed at his Yarze office, member of the French Senate and the Secretary of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces, Joel Gario-Mailam. During the meeting, they discussed the existing historical relations between the two countries in various fields, especially the ongoing cooperation between the armies of the two countries. Senator Gario-Mailam expressed her confidence in “the ability of the Lebanese to overcome the crisis that weighs heavily on Lebanon,’ and affirmed France’s constant support for Lebanon in various fields, especially in the military domain. Minister Sleem, in turn, hailed the continuous French support for Lebanon and the initiatives aimed at finding solutions to the country’s current crises. The Minister also appreciated the “military cooperation between the two countries, France’s participation in UNIFIL, and its permanent coordination with the army in the areas of training and equipment.” Sleem highly valued France’s “permanent stand by Lebanon”.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon