More than 14 months of war severely affects Sudan's health sector

More than 14 months of war has severely affected Sudan's health sector, leaving many hospitals and medical facilities closed, damaged or burnt.

Many hospital buildings in the Sudanese city of Omdurman are deserted.

Doctors warned that the very few operating facilities may close due to limited resources and patient overcrowding.

Doctor Ammar Moatasem who works at a dialysis center in Kassala state said that they are not able to follow the proper treatment protocol.

One patient in the center, Awad Mohamed, was frustrated seeing no signs of a better future.

Sudan plunged into chaos in April last year when simmering tensions between the country’s military and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere.

Fourteen months of fighting have killed more than 14,000 people and wounded 33,000 others, according to the United Nations, but rights activists say the toll could be much higher.

The World Health Organization reported that 15 million people don’t have health care and between 70-80% of health facilities are not functioning.

Manal Fadl is a Sudanese displaced mother who had heart surgery right before the war. She could not get a proper follow-up with her doctor after the critical operation.

The conflict created the world’s largest displacement crisis with over 11 million people forced to flee their homes.

The U.N. migration agency told The Associated Press earlier this month that over 10 million people are internally displaced in Sudan as war drives about a quarter of the population from their homes.