Sudan conflict leaves health sector on verge of collapse

Sudan’s health sector is on the verge of collapse, as heavy off-and-on conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has damaged or destroyed infrastructure and hospitals in numerous cities.

The escalating violence in the country in recent weeks has had a catastrophic impact on civilians despite the ceasefire agreement, with hundreds losing their lives and over 1.3 million people estimated to be displaced.

Millions more now find themselves unable to access vital services or healthcare facilities.

For more than a month, patients from Sudan’s capital Khartoum have been forced to seek healthcare and medicine in other places.

Some suffer from respiratory diseases.

The conditions of several hospitals have become very poor, due to pressure.

Since the fighting broke out in April, over 70 percent of hospitals in the country stopped operating, as they were located too near to areas of the clashes.

The World Health Organisation also confirmed that several health facilities had become targets in the fighting.

Although medicine and medical equipment were donated to Sudanese hospitals by the United Nations and other organizations, the difficulty of delivering aid and securing safe humanitarian corridors amid fragile ceasefires agreements, was still a major challenge.