Medical Teams International President & CEO Advocates for Increased Mental Health Support for Children in Sudan
Eric Ha Urges Immediate Action at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
Portland, Oregon USA, Sept. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medical Teams International President & CEO, Eric Ha, is calling for an expanded response to the critical mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs of children in Sudan. He is attending the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York City this week. Medical Teams has submitted a Commitment to Action proposal to CGI that would expand our work treating children and caregivers in Sudan suffering psychological distress due to the ongoing war.
Background
The protracted humanitarian crisis in Sudan, driven by the civil war that erupted in April 2023, has created the largest displacement crisis in the world. More than 12 million Sudanese people have been forcibly displaced – 8.6 million people within the country and 3.8 million people who have fled to other countries. Conflict has devastated infrastructure, leaving 70-80% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas inaccessible or nonfunctional. About half of the population (25.6 million people) are experiencing acute hunger, which is more than the entire population of Florida facing starvation.
Medical Teams began working in Sudan in 2021 and now serves approximately 1.2 million people across White Nile, Gedaref, Khartoum and Al Jazirah States. As the lead health and nutrition partner in 12 refugee camps (60% of all camps in Sudan), Medical Teams delivers integrated primary health care, maternal and child health, nutrition programming, and outbreak response, including cholera prevention and treatment.
Medical Teams’ Commitment to Action
MHPSS needs in Sudan, especially for children, are urgent and vastly underfunded. A 2024 Medical Teams assessment in White Nile State identified severe gaps in community and family psychosocial support systems, non-functional schools, limited integration of mental health into primary care, and a shortage of trained mental health professionals. Children affected by armed conflict and displacement face poverty, lack of education, family separation, and exposure to violence, all of which drive psychological distress such as fear, sadness, guilt, and anger.
Medical Teams plans to deliver an integrated MHPSS response in Sudan that addresses urgent needs while building sustainable community systems for recovery. We will strengthen mental health resilience and psychosocial well-being among 27,980 conflict-affected children and caregivers in Sudan’s White Nile refugee camps over a 12-month period. Building on more than 45 years of global emergency health experience, we will integrate targeted MHPSS services into existing primary health care and community health programming to ensure holistic, accessible, and sustainable care.
Remarks from Eric Ha, Medical Teams President & CEO
“At Medical Teams International, driven by our faith, we believe that we have a deep responsibility to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and love those who are suffering both in our own communities and on the farthest, forgotten edges of the margins – like in Sudan,” said Eric Ha, Medical Teams President & CEO. “Our courageous staff are committed to restoring Sudan’s health system, saving lives, and reawakening hope for the future. Our Commitment to Action in White Nile State will provide critically needed care for children and families as they work to heal and rebuild their communities.”
About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched more than 4,000 Commitments to Action – new, specific, and measurable projects and programs – that are making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in 180 countries.
About Medical Teams International
Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, and survivors of conflict zones and natural disasters. Daring to love like Jesus, we care for the whole person and serve all people. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.
Attachments
Karen Piatt Medical Teams International 2067080355 kpiatt@medicalteams.org
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