Sudan: WHO is appalled by the horrific attack on El Fasher maternity hospital
The attack on the only maternity hospital in the town in Sudan’s western North Darfur state was “shocking and horrifying”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, calling on warring parties to “always protect mothers and children and allow them safe access to health care” in the war-torn African country .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the Saudi Maternity Hospital is “the only facility providing maternal and child health care” in El Fasher.
This development comes after more than 14 months of fighting between rival armies in Sudan.
Media reports point to “a Rapid Support Forces bombing” of a hospital in El Fasher, the capital of the Darfur region and home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war.
Killed while working
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami has revealed more details about the death of pharmacist Amna Ahmed Bakhit: “Killed while working, prescribing and administering drugs for women, men and children in a place that should be safe.” said the top United Nations official in the country in a post on X.
“From bullets to bombs, famine to disease, every lost soul in this senseless war will take Sudan one step further away from what we all want. Peace,” Ms. Nkweta-Salami added, calling for an end to the brutal fighting.
“Mothers and newborns must always be protected and have safe access to health care. Health workers must be able to work safely,” WHO’s Tedros emphasized, adding that despite the attack, the hospital continued to operate thanks to the dedication of staff working in harsh conditions. harsh.
Since May 10, the city of El Fryer has been the scene of fierce fighting between former allies who went to war with each other 14 months ago.
Calls from the United Nations and the international community have grown in recent weeks to prevent Sudan from sliding into a humanitarian disaster that could push millions into starvation due to food shortages caused by the war. spread to 12 of the country’s 18 states.
WFP increases aid
People in the states of Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan continue to suffer from lack of food and medical assistance, and child malnutrition in Sudan is reaching emergency levels according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
About 9 million children are facing severe food insecurity.
World food program (WFP) food security analysis has identified 44 hunger hotspots in Sudan – mainly in conflict-affected areas such as Khartoum, Kordofan, Darfur and Gezira – where 2.6 million people are at high risk falls into the extreme stage 5 of the crisis. Integrated food security stage classification (IPC 5).
In that context, the United Nations’ emergency food assistance agency is stepping up operations to prevent famine. WFP is prioritizing these areas and has provided food assistance to 22 hunger hotspots since January.
The UN agency said it has reached more than 3 million people and plans to reach 5 million more through general food assistance, nutrition, school meals and recovery activities in all year.
