The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is contemplating the suspension of its crucial operations in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, due to a string of incidents where its personnel have been deliberately targeted.
The most recent incident occurred on Thursday when a convoy, transporting essential medical supplies to the Turkish Hospital in the southern part of the capital, was intercepted by a group of armed individuals, as reported by MSF in a press release.
“After arguing about the reasons for MSF’s presence, the armed men then aggressively assaulted our team, physically beating and whipping them, as well as detaining the driver of one of our vehicles.”
The life of the driver was then threatened and the vehicle was stolen.
The charity has said that its work at the Turkish Hospital is in “serious jeopardy” without safety guarantees.
“In order to save people’s lives, the lives of our staff who are there to carry out this life saving work must not be put at risk.
“If an incident like this happens again, and if our ability to move supplies continues to be obstructed, then, regrettably, our presence in the Turkish Hospital will soon become untenable,” Christophe Garnier, MSF’s emergencies manager for Sudan, said.
The hospital is only one of two operating in southern Khartoum, both of which MSF supports, the charity says.
There are very few other international charities working in the country.
But now “the organisation is beginning to think that its ongoing support may soon no longer be possible”.
As the three-month conflict between the army and a paramilitary force continues, the few remaining medical facilities in Khartoum are struggling to treat wounded patients.
MSF says it has treated over 1,600 war-wounded patients in the capital since April.