from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – TWO-THIRDS of Sudanese civilians no longer have access to essential health services after most of the country’s hospitals and health centres were forced to close their doors.
Doctors and nurses have been killed and wounded, and many health facilities have been damaged by shelling airstrikes since the conflict broke out in April last year.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan reports that repeated attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have severe consequences amidst the worsening food crisis.
The most vulnerable, including pregnant and lactating mothers and children under the age of five are among the worst impacted.
“The situation in health clinics is beyond words,” said Amelie Chbat, who oversees health programmes for the Red Cross.
“The injured lack medicines, food, and water, and the elderly, women, and children are without essential treatments like dialysis or diabetes medications. And the situation is deteriorating,” Chbat said.
The number of reports of looting and vandalizing healthcare facilities, threats and physical violence against staff and patients, and the denial of healthcare services to civilians are increasing.
The Red Cross lamented that fighters and civilians died because they are prevented from receiving medical attention in time.
Entire communities are cut off from vital services, such as maternity care, childcare and vaccinations.
The ICRC reminded the parties to the conflict that such actions would have severe and long-lasting consequences for the entire Sudanese population, and that protecting healthcare is an obligation under international humanitarian law.
The country of 49 million people has been unstable since Omar Al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019.
– CAJ News