Hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in central Darfur has been temporarily shut down following an attack that resulted in one casualty.

The international community is being called upon to respond urgently to the "catastrophic" situation in Darfur, Sudan, as the region grapples with a cholera outbreak, ongoing violence, and the suspension of medical services by the humanitarian organisation, Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

The crisis was triggered by the war between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023 due to strong disagreements over the integration process of the paramilitary group within the Armed Forces. This conflict has derailed the transition opened after the overthrow in 2019 of the regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir in a military coup.

The latest incident occurred over the weekend, when an armed attack on the main hospital in North Darfur state left one person dead and five injured, including a Ministry of Health worker. According to Marwan Taher, MSF's emergency coordinator in Darfur, a hand grenade was thrown during the attack, which took place in front of the emergency room of the hospital.

Taher emphasised that attacks on hospitals and medical personnel are unacceptable and put lives at risk. He stated that suspending activities and evacuating teams is a decision no medical organization wants to take, but staff cannot risk their lives while providing assistance. MSF has warned that it will not be able to resume activities until all parties provide clear security guarantees to protect staff and patients.

The local population in Darfur needs urgent medical attention and must be protected in its access to it. The cholera outbreak in Sudan, considered one of the most serious in recent history, has caused at least 40 deaths in the Darfur region in just one week.

Since the April 2023 attack on the Zalingei hospital in North Darfur, the security situation remains highly unstable, with ongoing armed conflicts severely impacting the safety of MSF team members and the accessibility of medical care. The hospital and surrounding areas continue to face threats from armed groups, making medical operations and protection of staff extremely difficult.

Taher declared that a person has already died, and more lives could have been lost if the attack on the hospital had occurred during the day when it was full of patients. MSF has communicated that it has been forced to reduce its teams and suspend medical activities at the Zalingei hospital.

The international community is urged to take swift action to address the crisis in Darfur and ensure the safety and accessibility of medical services for the local population. Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel must be condemned, and all parties involved in the conflict must provide clear security guarantees to protect staff and patients. The lives of the people in Darfur depend on it.

Hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in central Darfur has been temporarily shut down following an attack that resulted in one casualty.