A man walks on a flooded road in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 3, 2020. Sudan witnessed floods recently due to heavy rains. (Photo: Xinhua)

 
The United Nations faces a serious challenge, especially in health, because of the lack of humanitarian aid funding for Sudan, which is suffering from unprecedented floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.

"We and our partners are continuing to support the government's response efforts to help those in need," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

So far, more than 400,000 people have been reached, out of the 860,000 people affected by the floods, a number that is increasing, he said. More than 120 people have died.

"The lack of funding is posing a serious challenge, especially for the health sector, as well as in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, for which aid is critical to respond to both the floods and the current pandemic," Dujarric told a regular briefing.

More than 400 schools and thousands of health facilities have been damaged, compromising education and health services, he said. Nearly 30,000 latrines have collapsed, which could hinder the prevention and treatment of potential disease outbreaks.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday in its updated situation report that 46 percent of the 1.6 billion U.S. dollars required for Sudan has been funded.