Zalingei, August 20(Darfur24)
MSF announced the suspension of all its9 activities and the reduction of its team at Zalingei Hospital in Central Darfur State, western Sudan, following a violent armed attack inside the facility that killed one person and injured five others, including a Ministry of Health staff member.
The organization said in a statement that the suspension of medical activities comes amid a deadly cholera outbreak, indicating that it will not be able to resume operations until all parties involved provide clear security guarantees to protect staff and patients.
The statement indicated that the attack occurred at Zalingei Hospital on the night of August 16, following the arrival of a dead patient who had died from a gunshot wound to the emergency room. Reports indicated that the patient’s injuries were the result of looting at a nearby camp for displaced people.
“Armed relatives of the deceased forcibly entered the hospital. Shortly afterward, another patient arrived with gunshot wounds, also accompanied by armed individuals. Tensions ran high between the two groups inside the facility, and at 10 p.m., a grenade was detonated in front of the emergency room, killing one person and wounding five others, including a medical staff member from the Ministry of Health,” he added.
“One person lost his life in this explosion, and more could have been killed had it occurred during the day when the hospital was full of patients,” said Marwan Taher, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Darfur. “
The decision to suspend our activities and evacuate our teams is not one that any medical organization would want to take, but it is unconscionable for our staff to risk their lives while providing care.”
“Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel are unacceptable and put people’s lives at risk. The presence of weapons inside medical facilities makes it impossible for our teams to operate safely,” he said.
MSF is leading an emergency cholera response at Zalingei Hospital, treating 162 patients in just 16 days in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Health. Cholera has claimed seven lives so far, and Zalingei Hospital was the only facility equipped to treat serious cases in Central Darfur.