Thirty newborn babies have tragically lost their lives in hospitals since the onset of the fighting in Sudan, according to UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Thursday.
Speaking at his daily briefing, Dujarric underscored the humanitarian repercussions of the ongoing fighting in the country, highlighting data from UN agencies.
"Six newborn babies died at a hospital in the city of Ed Daein in just one week recently due to the problems, including lack of oxygen amid electricity blackouts. WHO reports that more than 30 newborns have died at the hospital since the start of the fighting," he said.
The WHO is in touch with healthcare providers in the region to see what it can do to support, Dujarric added.
Disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the two sides over integration of the RSF into the armed forces — a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.
Sudan has been without a functioning government since fall 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."
The transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.
According to local medics, at least 863 civilians have been killed and 3,531 others injured since the outbreak of the conflict on April 15.
