Sudan conflict reaches grim 500-day mark, MSF decries aid failures

August 27, 2024 (PORT SUDAN/DARFUR) – As Sudan’s brutal conflict reaches its 500th day, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is condemning the inadequate humanitarian response to the country’s escalating medical needs.

MSF highlights 84 attacks on its own workers and 12 attacks on MSF-supported hospitals in El Fasher alone, underscoring the dangerous conditions faced by aid organizations.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has left tens of thousands dead and triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis, with over 10 million people forced to flee their homes.

The situation is particularly dire for children, with malnutrition rates soaring due to food shortages and limited humanitarian access. MSF reports treating over 34,000 acutely malnourished children since the war began.

“Today children are dying of malnutrition across Sudan,” said Tuna Turkmen, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Darfur. “The help they most urgently need is barely coming and, when it does, it is often blocked.”

The conflict has also devastated Sudan’s healthcare system, with nearly 80% of facilities out of service according to the World Health Organization,

MSF is calling for increased humanitarian aid and unrestricted access to affected populations. The organization also urges all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and facilities.