Epidemic, more deaths likely in Sudan as services collapse, fighters overrun disease lab
The World Health Organization (WHO) expects “many more” deaths in Sudan due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of essential services amid fighting, its director general said on Wednesday.
Battles between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary since mid-April has killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the WHO.
“On top of the number of deaths and injuries caused by the conflict itself, the WHO expects there will be many more deaths due to outbreaks, lack of access to food and water and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Tedros added that only 16% of health facilities were functioning in the Sudanese capital.
“WHO estimates that one quarter of the lives lost so far could have been saved with access to basic haemorrhage control. But paramedics, nurses and doctors are unable to access injured civilians, and civilians are unable to access services.”
The U.N. health body was carrying out a risk assessment to determine whether the seizure of a laboratory in Khartoum housing pathogens represented a risk to public health.
“When lab workers are forced to leave a laboratory and untrained people enter that laboratory, there are always risks, but the risks are primarily to those individuals first and foremost to accidentally expose themselves to the pathogens,” said Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s health emergencies programme.
However, the absence of clean water and vaccines, as well as other sanitation issues, represented the main risk to Sudanese, he added.
Meanwhile, there are no signs that Sudan’s generals are ready to negotiate ceasefire in the fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces which erupted on April 15.
Speaking to the UN Security Council via video-link from Port Sudan, special envoy to the country, Volker Perthes, said both sides seemed to think that securing a military victory over the other is possible.
“This is a miscalculation. As fighting continues, law and order will further break down throughout the country and command and control will dissipate. Sudan could become increasingly fragmented, which would have a devastating impact on the region. And even if one side wins, Sudan will lose.”
Both parties agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire beginning on Tuesday, which Perthes said seemed to be holding “in some parts so far”. “However, we also hear continuing reports of fighting and movement of troops.”
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded as the paramilitaries embedded in neighborhoods and the army targeted them from the air. Thousands have fled the capital but manyremain trapped in their homes.
The UN’s humanitarian office said shortages of food, water, medicines and fuel were becoming “extremely acute” and that prices were surging. The UN refugee agency has forecast that hundreds of thousands might flee to neighboring countries.
Speaking at the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the violence and chaos thus far as “heartbreaking”.
“A prolonged, full-scale war is unbearable to contemplate,” he said.
