The total number of internally displaced people in Sudan has exceeded three million.
A new hospital is set to be established in Sudan as part of a collaborative initiative between Qatar and Egypt, the Sudanese News Agency reported, as the conflict deals a blow to the country’s healthcare sector.
The report said the project was discussed in talks between Egypt’s Ambassador to Sudan Hani Salah and Dr Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, the Sudanese Minister of Health. The talks centred around ensuring the continual provision of healthcare services and extending support to enhance Sudan’s healthcare situation.
The announcement comes in response to a dire insufficiency of medical services and supplies in the country due to the ongoing conflict. Sudan has faced months of violence that has killed hundreds of civilians and forced more than 80 percent of its hospitals out of service, according to the World Health Organisation.
The war broke out on 15 April following simmering tensions between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, widely known as Hemedti.
The two sides previously shared power under a four-year agreement following the toppling of former long-time Sudanese ruler Omar Al-Bashir during the 2019 revolution.
The conflict has killed more than 3,000 people, though the actual figure remains disputed and is feared to be much higher.
On 31 July, Sudan extended the closure of its airspace until 15 August amid increasing violence despite global mediation efforts. However, the decision excluded humanitarian aid and exemption flights.
The United Nations estimates that the violence has pushed the total number of internally displaced people to more than three million, or nearly 604,000 households.
Over 300 deaths between May 15th and July 17th, attributed to measles and malnutrition, particularly affecting children under five years old has been reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Links regarding this have been drawn to
Limited humanitarian funding and difficulties in accessing areas have also led to more than 300 deaths that have been attributed to measles and malnutrition, particularly affecting children under five years old, UNHCR warned.
“As many families have been on the move for weeks – with very little food or medicine – rising malnutrition rates, disease outbreaks and related deaths continue to be observed,” said UNHCR spokesman William Spindler in a news briefing in Geneva.
Qatar steps in
Qatar has played a pivotal role in providing aid to Sudan and has facilitated a number of airlifts to rescue civilians fleeing the violence.
The Gulf state launched its first evacuation flight in May, and has since safely airlifted more than 1,855 people from Sudan, per the latest Qatari foreign ministry figures.
Entities from the Gulf state, including Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, have also continued to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance on the ground, especially for those who have been displaced by the violence in the capital Khartoum.
In early August, Qatar resumed its air bridge to deliver aid to war-laden Sudan.
That flight saw authorities at Port Sudan receive four e-passport counters from Qatar to assist with travel-related procedures and document issuance, an official source told Doha News.
