Khartoum doctors halt work after allied fighters threaten hospital

October 12, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Doctors at Bashair Hospital in southern Khartoum suspended work after fighters allied with the Sudanese army threatened to destroy the medical facility, protesting the deaths of two of their wounded members.

The presence of fighters from armed movements in Khartoum’s neighbourhoods continues, despite a decree by army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to remove combat forces from civilian areas.

A volunteer with the Southern Belt Emergency Room told Sudan Tribune that members of the Joint Force brought two wounded fighters to the hospital on Friday evening, but they died shortly after arrival.

He said one of the fighters, armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, then threatened to blow up the hospital, prompting the medical staff to walk out over safety concerns. Army forces later intervened to de-escalate the situation.

The volunteer added that doctors briefly resumed work on Saturday afternoon following an intervention by the Ministry of Health, but quickly suspended their activities again due to the persistent lack of security.

Attacks on medical facilities have surged since the conflict began in April 2023. The nation’s health sector is already overwhelmed, battling epidemics like cholera and dengue fever while treating casualties from the ongoing war.

Up to 80% of healthcare facilities in conflict zones have been forced to close, with around 45% ceasing operations in other parts of the country.

Bashair Hospital is a critical facility supported by local emergency response volunteers since the war’s outset. In May, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) resumed its activities at the hospital after a five-month hiatus.