In Sudan, Africa, a Japan man who was in charge of a local team for the international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières and evacuated through his own route spoke to NHK remotely from Switzerland, where he was evacuated, and described the tense situation in which he was forced to evacuate amid the worsening situation.
The interviewee was Atsuhiko Ochiai, 61, of the international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières.
Ochiai was in charge of about 3 people in three teams in Sudan, but since the fighting intensified in mid-April, he has often taken refuge in basements to avoid gunfire, making it impossible for him to carry out substantial activities.
The situation worsened day by day, with reports of armed groups breaking into hospitals in the western Darfur region supported by Ochiai's team and looting medicines and other items, and smoke rising in Khartoum.
Initially, we declined to evacuate by Japan Self-Defense Force aircraft in order to stay in the area and continue our activities, but we were forced to evacuate due to the deteriorating situation.
They arranged their own car and evacuated to neighboring Ethiopia by land for three days until April 40.
Mr. Ochiai recalled, "I was in a position to negotiate with the government, but all government functions stopped and the team stopped functioning Japan.
However, as the seven staff members are still staying in Japan and continuing their activities, he said, "As medical needs increase, we should have increased supplies and people, but we have not been able to do so.
Regarding the current situation in Sudan, he said, "Even before the conflict broke out, we were close to the collapse of medical care, but logistics have been delayed, there is a shortage of medicines, and there is no way to compensate for it.
"If the conflict continues, support groups will not be able to operate, so if the ceasefire agreement is not observed, we will not be able to move to the next stage Japan Japan. I was talking.
A photograph taken in Khartoum on April 4 shows a bullet found on the roof of Médecins Sans Frontières' quarters.
In a photo taken in the basement of the same dormitory on the 15th, evacuation is shown with only a small light so as not to stand out, and blankets can be seen on the floor.
A video taken on the roof of the same dormitory on April 18 shows white smoke rising high into the sky from nearby urban areas with a loud "thump" sound that appears to be shelling.
Photos taken on their way from Khartoum to Ethiopia on Wednesday show people dressed as Médecins Sans Frontières get out of cars lined up on an unpaved road and stay there.