The army's targeting of the Rapid Support Forces in Old Omdurman left hundreds dead (military media)

In preparation for receiving the Sudanese returning to their homes that they abandoned under the influence of violent battles that lasted for more than 11 months, the Khartoum government, in coordination with the Sudanese army, the Ministry of Health, organizations and volunteers, began removing bodies from the center of Omdurman, the second largest city in Sudan.

Large parts of the city of Omdurman were recently subjected to the army after continuous clashes with the Rapid Support Forces, which controlled Old Omdurman and the radio and television headquarters. Pictures taken of the battles showed large numbers of deaths, in addition to widespread destruction inflicted on the sites that the army targeted with drones during its pursuit. Rapid support elements.

According to activists on social media, at least a thousand bodies were collected during the past days in the neighborhoods of Omdurman, while medical and military teams did not reach other sites in Old Omdurman, which are said to contain large numbers of decomposed bodies of the Rapid Support Forces, which exacerbates the situation. From pollution and the emission of unpleasant odors.

Army drones target a convoy of rapid support vehicles in Omdurman (Military Media)

Reassurances, however

Despite the reassurances that the Sudanese authorities seek to spread among citizens and encourage them to return by securing many sites in Omdurman, restoring police forces, traffic, markets and shops to work and opening banks, environmental experts have issued serious warnings of the danger of encouraging the return to residential areas before taking a package of measures confirming the viability of homes and civilian objects. To life and without exposing the returnees to serious risks.

Environmental concerns are summarized in the severe pollution that befell sites that witnessed fierce confrontations during which all types of lethal weapons were used, in a way that requires mechanisms to measure the level of toxins affecting the air, land, and water before welcoming citizens and returning life to normal.

Experts talk about the saturation of the air with the heavy reactions of bullets and shells that were fired into the sky of the capital for an entire year, in addition to the widespread destruction that befell laboratories and laboratories in hospitals and medical colleges, all of which contained samples of bacteria and viruses preserved according to specific scientific specifications, but they were spoiled by the power outage, leaked and became threatened. Health and environmentally very dangerous.

According to testimonies obtained by Al Jazeera Net from those returning to Old Omdurman to inspect their homes after the army took control, the accumulation of bodies and the increase of stray dogs and cats led to a catastrophic environmental situation that made it difficult for families and life to return to normal. They spoke of the emission of odors and the partial demolition of some homes, which threatens what remains. In addition to the scattering of unexploded shells inside homes and in many locations that the Rapid Support Forces have taken as the headquarters for their combat operations.

In addition to the deteriorating environmental situation, health sector workers face security threats, as the Ministry of Health condemned - in a statement - this week the Rapid Support Forces targeting its team that was working to collect bodies near Al-Tijani Al-Mahi Hospital in Omdurman, which led to the death of the emergency vehicle driver and the injury of others.

Disastrous situation

For his part, the expert in environmental affairs, Professor Talaat Dafallah, describes the situation in Old Omdurman as catastrophic, and in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, he believes that calls for the return of residents without planning and providing services will increase suffering, and will not find deaf ears.

He continues, "The environmental situation is catastrophic, not only because of the remains of the dead, but also from the remains of shells and bullets. There is pollution in the air, water, and noise pollution due to the sounds of cannons, shells, and the movement of marches, in addition to other effects that were not monitored in a professional manner due to lack of security."

Dafallah stresses the importance of civil society organizations taking action once security is established, and for official agencies to combine their efforts to clean up waste, dispose of the remains of military waste, provide electricity, water, and communication services, and prepare educational, service, and health institutions, and then call for the return in an organized manner.

The environmental expert touched on the destruction that affected hospitals containing laboratory samples and hazardous materials and the dire effects resulting from that, in addition to the destruction of sewage, in addition to the leakage of radiation, which he said had not yet been accounted for due to the lack of equipment and trained personnel, pointing out that the interruption of electricity and water also caused pollution. Big hit even the food.

He adds, "The situation requires an urgent emergency plan for accurate scientific monitoring of the antiquities, and the involvement of specialists and official and popular efforts, represented by civil society organizations, as important arms supporting official work, especially United Nations organizations and other organizations that have trained personnel to deal with these cases."

The seriousness of the situation is not lost on officials in the Federal Ministry of Health, as a senior official in the ministry confirms to Al Jazeera Net the completion of preparing an integrated plan to deal with the conditions in hospitals and laboratories through the Health Emergency Committee, indicating that the plan was approved by the Supreme Committee for Support, headed by the Governor of Khartoum, and its implementation began on Thursday. the past.

Obligatory precautions

In this context, the professor and researcher in environmental issues and dangerous chemicals, Al-Fatih Yasin, advises that the return of citizens be gradual after ensuring the suitability of the sites and examining them by specialized teams from the Corps of Engineers, to ensure that no mines are planted around homes and neighborhoods, and that teams from the Chemical Corps work to search for... The possibility of the presence of flammable materials and non-explosive shells in the homes and objects in which the militia members were residing. Members of the Civil Defense Police must also be deployed to ensure that the buildings are in good condition, that they are not subject to collapse, and that the electrical lines, etc., are safe.

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, Yassen stresses the necessity of conducting measurements of water and air quality and talks about the arrival of the summer season being able to be a decisive factor in purifying the atmosphere of microbes, but it does not prevent caution in dealing with reality.

Regarding dealing with the bodies, the researcher believes that the collection operations should take place early in the morning, and that the burial should take place collectively and in a place free of chemical pollutants, agriculture, water, and organic waste, and that the cemetery should be surrounded by insulating materials on all four sides and contain a future for the corpses’ leachate to prevent pollution and leakage of groundwater. And for the earth itself.

In this regard, Yesen notes that water networks stop pumping for a long period of time, making them vulnerable to bacteria and algae, which requires increasing sterilization doses when they are restored to work.

Dog dilemma

In addition to the worrying environmental situation, there is the problem of dogs and cats that have taken food from the scattered corpses over a period of 11 months, which makes the possibility of them contracting rabies very likely, and their presence in residential neighborhoods raises great concern after they have turned into wild animals, and experts say that Two generations of dogs and cats that were born during the long months of war were not accustomed to humans, and were fed human organs, which supports the hypothesis that they attacked those returning to their homes.

In this context, researcher Al-Fatih Yasin suggests using huge traps to attract stray dogs, sterilize their locations, kill the feral ones, and then bury them away from water sources and agriculture.

Source: Al Jazeera