As the conflict between paramilitaries and the regular army continues, Mirko Zappacosta, head of mission for the NGO Première urgence internationale, worries about the situation “worse and worse” on the spot.
They fear a collapse of the health system. Health authorities and humanitarian organizations are warning of increasingly difficult access to healthcare in Sudan as the country is shaken by a violent power struggle between two generals. According to the Sudanese Doctors’ Union, the main hospitals in the country could no longer function by the end of the week, for lack of external aid. “We strongly condemn the truce violations”they also said on Facebook Monday, May 1, about the second ceasefire negotiated with the help of the United States.
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As fighting continues to rage on Tuesday, May 2, mainly around the capital Khartoum, tens of thousands of people fled to neighboring provinces less affected by the conflict. An influx of refugees which greatly aggravates the risk of shortages, as explained Mirko Zappacosta, head of mission in Sudan for the First International Emergency organization.
Franceinfo: The World Health Organization is talking about a health “catastrophe” in Sudan, how would you describe the situation there?
Mirko Zappacosta: She is indeed very critical. Hospitals across the country are receiving many wounded, civilians escaping the fighting, at levels far higher than they can handle. In Khartoum, the militiamen control a good part of the city. But in addition to the street fights, they are bombarded by the army, it is very violent. On April 15, our teams were awakened by the sounds of fighting. We ourselves received shots in our apartments, bullets in the walls. So we had to relocate our efforts to Gedaref [dans l’est du pays, à la frontière avec l’Ethiopie]which also makes it possible to accommodate the flow of refugees.
Have you seen the arrival of war wounded in your care centres? What are they suffering from?
We do not yet have enough hindsight to discuss this situation. We are of course expecting gunshot wounds, significant trauma. Before the start of the conflict, Khartoum was a very safe capital and our teams are not necessarily used to treating this type of injury. The big problem is that we already lack everything.
“Basic drugs, gloves, antiseptic products: all stocks are running out and it’s not clear how we’re going to manage to bring in new ones, it’s getting worse and worse.”
Mirko Zappacostaat franceinfo
We also see the queues lengthening at service stations, gasoline is running out. Fortunately, the Sudanese in quieter areas, such as here in Gedaref, showed great solidarity with the refugees. We have seen them come out of their homes to distribute water and food, for example. But without basic medicine, we fear a serious health crisis. Malaria, for example, which affects more than a million people in Sudan each year, could kill a lot this time around.
Some, like former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, fear that this conflict could degenerate into a civil war. Are you preparing for this eventuality?
We really hope that this will not be the case, and that the region of Gedaref, for example, will remain spared so that we can organize treatment. We are in the process of organizing ourselves to increase in power, because the situation imposes it on us. But for that, you have to be able to bring in teams from abroad. It is difficult and we are in the process of negotiating visa facilitation with the United Nations. You also need to be able to access the financial system again, fuel… None of this works for the moment. If the administrative capital of the country moves to Port-Sudan, this would allow us to strengthen the links with the ministries.
At the same time, we are creating mobile clinic units to intervene in Wad Madani, a town halfway between Gedaref and Khartoum. We also hope to receive “trauma” kits from the World Health Organization, to better treat the wounded who will arrive from the capital. We are committed to staying. I’ve been here for two and a half years, and when you see the solidarity between Sudanese, you say to yourself that you really can’t leave them, not at a time like this.