People walk through the entrance of the Ibrahim Malik Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan on 23 April 2022. Amidst ongoing instability in Sudan, the hospital faces challenges with retaining trained staff and ensuring adequate supplies and funding. Photo courtesy WHO
Geneva/Khartoum: In Khartoum, fewer than one-fifth of health facilities are fully functional two months after the escalation of violence in Sudan. As insecurity continues to make the delivery of health care increasingly challenging, it is preventing patients and health workers from reaching hospitals while health facilities, assets and staff are being attacked.
Overall, the greatest public health risks remain the ongoing violence resulting in trauma injuries, major disruptions to health care and repeated attacks on the health system, and poor access to clean water, sanitation and food, increasing the risk of malnutrition and water-and vector-borne diseases, the World Health Organization’s Sudan health emergency – Situation Report No.1 – 15 April – 14 June 2023, stated today.
WHO stated that it had verified 46 attacks on health care between April 15 and June 8, 2023, which resulted in 8 deaths and 18 injuries.
“WHO condemns in the strongest terms the increasing attacks on health care in Sudan, and the occupation of several health facilities, including the National Public Health Laboratory and the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Medical Supply Funds Warehouse in Khartoum,” the report said. It stressed that the safety and sanctity of health care must always be protected, especially in situations of deadly violence, when the work of health care actors and safe access to life-saving services become even more vital.
The Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan OF May 11, 2023,and subsequent ceasefire deals offered limited windows to distribute supplies urgently needed by health facilities and partners for their life-saving operations. “We call on parties to uphold this commitment and guarantee the safety of humanitarians and safe passage of humanitarian aid in the country as well as protection of health workers and health facilities to ensure health facilities remain functional and accessible, and supplies are delivered without impediment so the population can receive the health care they need and deserve,” WHO stated. It claimed that bureaucratic processes were posing a challenge to the deployment of experts for an effective physical presence to lead the health response on the ground.
So far 3.6 million US dollars were released for the response from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) on April 19, 2023. The revised Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2023 seeks 2.6 billion US dollars to help 18 million people in Sudan. The HRP appeal for health is 178.6 million US dollars to reach 11 million people but it is only 11.3% funded. The Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan has a funding requirement of 470.7 million US dollars, of which 10.9 million US dollars is for the health sector, the report stated.
– global bihari bureau
