NEW YORK, United States of America, January 21, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The last weeks have once again seen an escalation in violence in the Blue Nile, Darfur region and Nuba Mountains. Children unfortunately continue to bear the biggest burden of one of the most protracted man-made disasters, in some areas for over a decade.
Violence and conflict do not only deprive boys and girls their basic right to life but also access to health and nutrition services, opportunity to go to school and increases their risk to abuse and exploitation.
UNICEF expresses grave concern over the impact of the ongoing armed conflict on children and condemns in the strongest terms the continued loss of innocent lives. For the sake of the children, UNICEF again calls on all concerned, to seek an end to the conflict and ensure unhindered humanitarian access to all conflict affected areas.
UNICEF, line ministries, and other international and national partners are working relentlessly to ensure continued provision of basic services in water, sanitation, health, nutrition, education and protection, for the most vulnerable children even in the conflict affected areas, as and when accessible. Over 200,000 children under the age of five in these areas have not had access to such services for over four years.
Peace is today, more than ever before, a prerequisite to ensure humanitarian assistance at scale for every boy and girl in Sudan.
