Médecins Sans Frontières Suspends Operations in Medani
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced today, Thursday, the suspension of its activities and the withdrawal of its staff from Medani Teaching Hospital, the only hospital serving hundreds of thousands of people in the capital of Al Jazirah State.
In a statement released today, the organization stated that it was forced to suspend its activities due to the lack of security, inability to bring in new staff, and medical supplies to the area due to the refusal of travel permits and repeated security incidents such as looting and harassment, which affect our ability to provide medical care.
"Despite the immense humanitarian and medical needs in Wad Medani and Al Jazirah, we have no choice but to immediately halt our work and leave the area," said Mary Carmen Feniulis, Operations Manager of MSF in Sudan. "Deliberate administrative closures, increasing security deterioration, and continuous violations of the hospital as a neutral space have made it impossible to continue providing services."
Mary Carmen added, "We have ceased support to the facility and relocated our staff to safer areas in Sudan. Our team and supported Ministry of Health staff have faced repeated security incidents perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces or tolerated by them over the past three months, including hospital looting, vehicle theft, and staff detentions, among many other incidents and pressures. Since January, Sudanese authorities have consistently refused travel permits to bring in new staff and medical and logistical supplies to the city."
The organization stated that it is ready to return to support Medani Teaching Hospital if the warring parties commit to respecting our medical work and ensuring safe and uninterrupted access to the area.
MSF called on the Rapid Support Forces to stop violating medical facilities and ensure the safety of Ministry of Health staff and MSF personnel. It also urged the military and civilian authorities led by the Sudanese government to grant the necessary travel permits for its staff and supplies.
In December last year, the organization evacuated all its staff from Wad Medani following an attack by quasi-military Rapid Support Forces on the city, which until then had been under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces led by the government. However, it managed to return to the city in mid-January and has been supporting the emergency room, operating theater, maternity ward, and other departments, as well as the therapeutic feeding center, adult and pediatric wards, surgery, and pharmacy at Medani Teaching Hospital. It also provided training and salaries to 240 Ministry of Health and Nutrition staff for patients.
Currently, Médecins Sans Frontières supports and operates in more than 30 health facilities in nine states in Sudan, in areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. It also supports Sudanese refugees and returnees to South Sudan and eastern Chad.
