Last Hospital in North Darfur at Risk of Closure Amid Civil War

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has issued a grave warning regarding the imminent closure of the last operating public hospital in North Darfur, Sudan, as violent clashes between rival military factions escalate. Since the outbreak of civil war in April 2022, over 18,000 people have died and 33,000 have been injured. The situation has worsened in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have encircled the city, leading to extensive damage to the MSF-supported Saudi Hospital. The Saudi Hospital, the largest in North Darfur, is struggling to remain functional following recent bombardments. MSF has condemned the attacks, stating that the warring parties are failing to protect health facilities and civilians. As displaced individuals flock to the nearby Zamzam camp, which has also faced shelling, MSF's field hospital is experiencing overwhelming pressure from a continuous influx of casualties. In tandem with the hospital crisis, UNICEF has declared Sudan's humanitarian situation as the most severe globally for children. Tens of thousands of children are at risk of death without immediate intervention, with reports of increasing violence, including sexual assaults and forced recruitment. The ongoing conflict has displaced five million children, marking Sudan as the epicenter of the world's largest child displacement crisis, with famine conditions threatening lives in the Zamzam camp. The urgent need for humanitarian assistance is critical as the situation deteriorates, prompting calls for immediate action to avert a catastrophic loss of life among Sudan's vulnerable children.