Three months of violence in Sudan: Health hanging in the balance
Joint statement by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, and Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa
24 July 2023 – The relentless fighting that has raged in Sudan since April continues to claim lives, force people from their homes and country, and leave others trapped with limited access to essential services, including health care.
Three months of conflict have left the country facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has spilled into six countries across two WHO regions, with 24 million people in need of humanitarian aid, including 2.6 million people internally displaced, and an additional 757 000 forced to flee across borders for safety. These numbers are growing every day.
Inside Sudan, the situation has reached gravely serious levels, with more than 67% of the country’s hospitals out of service and with increasing reports of attacks on health care. Between 15 April 2023 and 24 July 2023, 51 attacks on health care have been verified by WHO, resulting in 10 deaths and 24 injuries. It is a tragedy and an outrage that in the middle of this deepening crisis fighters continue to attack health facilities and workers, denying life-saving services to innocent civilians when they are at their most vulnerable.
When war wages, women and children will always pay a big price. We are appalled by reports of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls; those who are displaced are especially vulnerable. Today, more than 4 million women and girls are at risk of sexual and gender-based