MSF: Khartoum's health system has almost completely collapsed

8 September 2023(pen) – As military operations enter their fifth month, the organization has been supporting the Turkish hospital in Khartoum since mid-May, said Médecins Sans Frontières. Although MSF was under threat to end its support to the hospital twice, its teams were able to continue and even scale up support despite enormous challenges, MSF said.

Dr Migu Terzian, former head of MSF's mission in Sudan, said the biggest challenge when providing healthcare in Khartoum was accessibility. "With extreme insecurity and almost no means of transportation, it is extremely difficult for patients to reach the hospital. Ambulances are also unavailable, the gunmen who control the streets confiscate any vehicle on the road, and even vehicles owned by MSF have been stolen. We've had a lot of security problems over the past few months. "

"The health system in Khartoum has almost completely collapsed, and Khartoum lacks basic healthcare activities," said Dr. Migu.

The former President stated that due to war-imposed conditions and staff shortages, vaccination, antenatal care and follow-up activities for women and children after birth were no longer available in southern Khartoum.

Dr. Migu Terzian said, "The majority of those I spoke to believe that the war will last for months – even years."
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in Sudan on April 15 has killed and injured thousands of people and displaced millions more, both within Sudan and in neighboring countries.