Violence in Darfur worsens medical care

According to the aid organization Doctors Without Borders, urgently needed medical care is often no longer possible in some areas of Darfur. As a result, teams from the organization could not reach the health facilities they support in West Darfur, continue their work in mobile clinics in El Geneina, or return to the attack-torn town of Kreinik.

The Sudanese Medical Association CCSD reported on Twitter that only two hospitals are in operation, but they are also not available to a large part of the population due to the poor security situation. According to media reports, more than 160 people were killed at the weekend alone in clashes between Arab nomads and the Massalit minority. The exact background to the conflict is still unclear. According to some accounts, fighting broke out between the nomads and farmers over pasture and water.

Medical staff are also affected

There are also said to have been attacks on health facilities. “Doctors Without Borders” was shocked by the fatalities among the medical workers and concerned about the consequences for the people in the region, who were in urgent need of help even before the attacks. “They are facing a wave of violence that is preventing them from receiving the medical care they need,” the organization said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was shocked by reports of the deadly clashes and called for an end to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable. The United Nations had also called for an investigation into the recent violence. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), tens of thousands of people have been displaced as a result of the deadly attacks. Houses were set on fire, hospitals were attacked and shops were looted.

The region in western Sudan has been marked by conflict and violence for decades. An estimated 300,000 people were killed in a civil war between 2003 and 2008.

djo/jj (dpa, epd)