Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières staff 'beaten and threatened with death' in Khartoum

In a statement, the organization announced that 14 of their employees were assaulted by armed men on Thursday, July 20, 2023 while transporting medical supplies to the Turkish hospital south of the capital. This facility, where MSF receives and treats a dozen war-wounded people every day, is one of the few hospitals still functioning in the city, most of which have been looted or occupied by the belligerents.

The entrance to a hospital south of Khartoum, May 26, 2023. © AFP

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Around the Turkish hospital where MSF provides treatment, fighting breaks out daily. To protect themselves, staff have become accustomed to limiting their outdoor outings, except in cases of obligation. That was the case on Thursday. Some of the employees had to stock up on medicines and equipment, enough to treat the fifteen war-wounded received every day.

It was 700 meters from the establishment that they were arrested and assaulted. This is the first time since MSFstaff have been targeted in Khartoum. "All but 2 of our team members received a whiplash and slaps. Rather than physical pain, there is above all the humiliation of being slapped. They have also been threatened with gunfire in the air, which is intended to put pressure on and frighten people," said Christophe Garnier, head of MSF's emergency unit for Sudan.

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Christophe Garnier, head of MSF's emergency unit for Sudan

Pauline Le Troquier

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« We feel a rise in violence »

Under these conditions, the situation could become untenable, warns the organization. For Christophe Garnier, if the question of a departure from Khartoum is not decided, it is for the first time put on the table. "There is this event and then there is also a global deterioration of the situation, we feel an increase in violence so we opened the debate," he said. He added: "There is still a desire to stay in Khartoum because it is necessary, there are needs. We are the only international player able to offer medical care in Khartoum. If the decision were made to leave, the consequences would be heavy for civilians."

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If such an incident happens again, and if our ability to deliver supplies and medicines continues to be hampered, then unfortunately, our presence at the Turkish hospital in Khartoum will soon become untenable. " says Christophe Garnier. The Turkish hospital is one of the only facilities in the capital that is still open. In addition to the 1,600 war-wounded treated since the beginning of the conflict, MSF provides routine medicine for diabetic patients, pregnant women and newborns.

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• Sudan
• NGO
• Health and medicine
• Defense