“It can be hard to operate in this environment,” says Namariq Elhadi Nasir, a licensed dietitian and Therapeutic Nutrition Officer at the Murafaa Althany Clinic in Sennar state, Sudan. “We’re seeing around 50 patients per week. Women and children are suffering from malnutrition because there simply isn’t enough food at home. Here at the clinic, we help malnourished children by diagnosing and treating them. We also provide counseling, health education and ready-to-use therapeutic food.”
It’s been more than a year since Sudan was launched into civil war. Humanitarian needs across the country are at record highs, with 24.8 million people—about half of the population—needing humanitarian assistance. There is an overwhelming need for nutrition services and food assistance: according to OCHA, more than 2.9 million children are acutely malnourished, and an additional 729,000 children under five years old are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Hajer Musa Hassan Suliman, International Medical Corps’ Communications Manager in Sudan, recently traveled to Sennar and saw firsthand the incredible work our team at the Murafaa Althany Clinic is doing to provide lifesaving nutrition services to women and children. The clinic is located in a remote area of Sudan, about 40 kilometres from Sinja, the capital of Sennar.
“I was overcome with what I saw there,” says Hajer. “The dedication of our team at the Murafaa Althany Clinic is extraordinary. Seeing displaced children receiving the care they need was heartwarming. It gave me hope to learn that the Sudanese people are not alone in this crisis.”
To diagnose malnutrition, Namariq and her fellow team members, Safa Jaafar Abdul Kareem and Nidaa Muhktar Billo Osman, take middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements of children, which helps them determine whether a child is malnourished. A healthy measurement for a one-year-old child is 13.5 centimetres or higher.
They also measure the child’s height and weight and test their appetite. If they determine that the child is moderately malnourished, they provide supplementary feeding packets, including nutrition biscuits. For acutely malnourished children, the team gives them ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and works with their caregivers to develop a comprehensive nutrition plan. The team also provides health education and nutrition counselling for caregivers.
“I came here for my grandchild,” explains Hajer, who brought her two-year-old granddaughter, Zainab, to the clinic. “She is sick, and I brought her here so they can give her nutrition services.”
International Medical Corps has been operating in Sudan since 2004. We currently support and operate 72 health facilities across the country, serving about 2.7 million people. Our local teams deliver health services—including mental health care, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs—to conflict-affected communities.
Learn more about our work in Sudan and how our team in Renk, South Sudan, is helping people displaced by the conflict.