80% of health facilities in Sudan shut due to conflict: WHO
November 22, 2023 (GENEVA/KHARTOUM) – Armed conflict and insecurity, attacks on health care, and shortages of health workers and supplies have forced 80% of facilities in conflict-affected areas of Sudan to shut down, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Health facilities that remain functional, the agency stated, are overwhelmed by the influx of people seeking care, many of whom are internally displaced hence straining the country’s health system to its limits and denying the Sudanese people of their right to health care.
Sudan, according to the UN, is now facing the largest internal displacement crisis globally, with 6.3 million people (over 12% of the total population) displaced since mid-April 2023.
Almost 1.4 million of these people have been displaced into neighbouring nations as refugees.
According to the Regional Director of WHO, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, since the start of the war, the agency has verified 60 attacks on health care, resulting in 34 deaths and 38 injuries.
“One of our biggest concerns is the rapidly spreading cholera outbreak. Since the declaration of a cholera outbreak in Gedaref state on 26 September, 7 other states are reporting suspected cases of cholera,” said Al-Mandhari.
He added, “Cases of dengue, measles and malaria are also being reported across the country.”
Concerns were also raised on the situation in Darfur amid reports of high levels of violence, forced displacement, widespread gender-based violence and limited access to the delivery of aid which have reportedly resulted in unfathomable levels of humanitarian need.
Many hospitals, WHO said, are inaccessible, and insecurity prevents humanitarian aid from being safely delivered.
“Hence, we are scaling up our cross-border assistance from Chad into Darfur, with WHO this week committing $2.5million of our own finances to support these activities. But we need the support of our donors to ensure a sustained and reliable humanitarian response”, stressed Al-Mandhari.
He, however, said the world health body stands with the people of Sudan and is staying and delivering despite enormous challenges, adding “We are actively coordinating with partners, establishing mobile clinics, enhancing surveillance and distributing essential medicines”.
More than 42% of the entire country’s population has reportedly fallen into high levels of acute food insecurity, and 3.4 million children aged under 5 years – that’s 1 in every 7 children – are acutely malnourished, with over 690,000 children severely malnourished.
(ST)