For 5 days now, clashes have continued in Sudan between the forces of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese army, and those of General “Hemetti”, leader of a large paramilitary militia. The balance sheet is uncertain. It reports 185 dead and 1,800 injured, according to the UN; 144 dead and 1,400 injured, according to the central committee of Sudanese doctors. The inhabitants remain cloistered at home without electricity or running water and see their food stocks melting.
The worst is to be feared for the future, because, on the spot, non-governmental organizations and agencies have for the most part suspended their activities. In any case, it is time for emergency, and the work of humanitarian workers is hampered by the fighting. This Tuesday, April 18, the Red Cross and the World Health Organization (WHO) asked the belligerents to guarantee access to people in need. “Thousands of volunteers are ready, able and trained to provide humanitarian services. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, they are unable to travel,” said International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Head of Delegation Farid Aiywar, to journalists in Geneva by videoconference from Nairobi.
“We have ambulances, people capable of providing first aid and psychosocial support, but this will only be possible when the humanitarian corridors are guaranteed by all parties”, he insisted, stressing that “the organizations humanitarians felt very frustrated “not being able to do their job.
UN staff can also no longer work. “We have approximately 4,000 employees working in the country, including 800 international employees. We are of course concerned for their safety,” said UN spokesperson in Geneva, Alessandra Vellucci.
Despite calls from G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan, the UN and the United States “to end the violence immediately”, fighting continues in this deadly power struggle between the two generals. “We get calls from all over, from people who want basic things, food for their family, reunite children with their parents, and yet we can’t move, we can’t provide them with basic services. , such as a bottle of water or a meal for a child,” explained Mr. Aiywar.
The health system is severely disrupted and “if this continues, it risks collapsing”, he also warned. “Many of the nine hospitals in Khartoum receiving wounded civilians lack everything…blood, transfusion equipment, IV fluids, medical equipment and other basic necessities,” a spokeswoman said. of the WHO in Geneva, Margaret Harris.
In addition, the WHO denounces the attacks against health infrastructures. Three attacks have so far been documented by the WHO “but we know there are many more,” Harris said. “The parties must ensure that care can be delivered, which is not possible if staff, ambulances and supplies cannot move safely,” she insisted.
Later, during his weekly press conference, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that “supplies distributed by WHO to health facilities before the recent escalation of the conflict are exhausted”. “There are disturbing reports of the looting of some health facilities and the use of other facilities for military purposes. There are also reports that some hospitals are already closed or about to be closed due to the attacks and lack of staff and medical supplies,” he added. The shortage of fuel for hospital generators and water and electricity cuts also affect the functioning of health facilities.
