El Geneina means “the garden” in Arabic, but its translation does not reflect the harsh reality that its inhabitants live. It is estimated that at least 500 people have died since the conflict broke out, and that a similar number of wounded remain trapped in the city, unable to receive medical attention. No one can get into the city to help them, and no one can get them out of there either. An MSF surgical team is waiting in Adré, Chad, but it is currently impossible to evacuate patients due to ongoing fighting.
El Geneina is the capital of the state of West Darfur and has suffered violence and displacement for decades. During the first days of the current conflict, the city remained calm, which seemed to indicate that the violence would not reach it. However, on April 24 there were heavy clashes between the parties to the conflict, which were joined by young people from different communities who took up arms in self-defense. This situation led to clashes and looting. The area, inhabited by a mixed population and without clear community control, quickly became a focus of intense fighting and frequent looting.
The population of El Geneina was trapped in the spiral of violence and insecurity, which endangered their lives not only due to the confrontations, but also due to the difficulties in accessing health care. All of this affects all demographic groups: pregnant women, girls and boys, and everyone seeking health care. Added to their daily problems is limited access to basic necessities such as drinking water.
For the past few years, our teams have supported El Geneina University Hospital, the largest health center in West Darfur. MSF managed inpatient pediatric and nutrition units, infection prevention control measures, and water and sanitation services. The hospital not only served the population of El Geneina and the nearest IDP camps, but also the rest of Western Darfur.
On April 26, the hospital was looted and currently does not provide health care, which includes the units our teams supported. During the first days of the conflict, the MSF team working at the El Geneina University Hospital managed to supply the remaining medicines to several communities. However, with the progressive deterioration of the conflict, the hospital’s infrastructure was subjected to attacks that caused its inactivity. Our teams have not been able to access the hospital or carry out activities with mobile clinics in the nomadic communities of Galala, Mogshasha, Wadi Rati and Gelchek. We have been able to continue to provide services at Kreinik hospital, but supplies are running low.
A few days ago, Moussa Ibrahim, MSF logistics supervisor in El Geneina since July 2021, managed to reach Adré (Chad) to supervise activities with MSF teams and assess how logistics support could be provided to West Darfur. It was a short visit. He explained to us that he did not want to be away from El Geneina much longer and that he too had to return to his family. This is what he told me one of the days he spent in Chad: “My visit to Chad was necessary due to the communication cutoff that we have suffered due to the interruptions of the Internet and other means of communication. In addition, I wanted to strengthen coordination with the MSF teams based in Adré, who have been standing by and ready to step in and support local initiatives where possible.”
The journey from El Geneina to Chad is dangerous, as armed groups patrol often and may ask you to stop in the middle of the road. There is no guarantee of security. The consequences of the escalating conflict are devastating, with attacks against humanitarian organizations, police headquarters from which weapons were stolen and civilian locations such as the local market and the main university.
In these dire circumstances, the hospital we support was also ransacked. They took all the medical supplies and destroyed part of the hospital.
For me, who works in humanitarian logistics, it is heartbreaking to see how the efforts we have made over the years fall on deaf ears. During this time, we have provided healthcare to all communities in West Darfur, who otherwise would not have had access to healthcare due to frequent unrest.
Currently, mobility in the city is limited to the surroundings of one’s own home, due to the risk of random shootings, snipers and vehicle theft. Access to basic necessities, such as water, is dangerous, and the task of recovering the bodies of the deceased from the streets has become impossible. During the first days of the fighting, the Red Crescent was able to recover the bodies from the streets. However, as the situation worsened, it became impossible to continue doing so, so not all the bodies have been able to be recovered. Five days ago, it was finally possible to access, but at that time the decomposition was such that they could not be moved. Right now, the only thing that can be done is to bring all the bodies to one place.
The situation is unsustainable and it is urgent to intervene. Negotiations between community leaders and all parties to the conflict must be guaranteed to put an end to this horrible situation. Most of the NGOs have left, but they have done so in order to facilitate the humanitarian operations of those who have managed to remain in different parts of Sudan, including our teams, who have pledged to offer much-needed healthcare to the population. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative from a humanitarian point of view to safeguard the lives of the civilian population and guarantee the safety of medical personnel and health facilities.
However, the situation remains extreme and urgent action is needed to guarantee the safety of the population and health personnel in El Geneina.”
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