Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has issued a warning about the dire medical situation in Sudan as the country grapples with a deadly conflict that began nearly six months ago. The conflict, involving the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has severely strained Sudan’s healthcare system, pushing it to the brink of collapse.

MSF noted that Sudanese health staff and volunteers are struggling to provide necessary medical care to the population. However, Sudanese health authorities have reported the spread of diseases and epidemics in the country.

Christos Christou, the international president of MSF, described Sudan’s crisis as a “catastrophic failure of humanity.” He highlighted that the country’s fragile healthcare system is overwhelmed, with congested emergency rooms and many hospitals closing altogether.

MSF’s head of mission, Frauke Ossig, expressed concern about hospital staff’s inability to treat critically ill patients due to medicine shortages. The organization also pointed out that bureaucratic and administrative obstacles hinder its humanitarian efforts, such as restrictions on staff movement, travel permit rejections, and bans on specific medical supplies.

In its statement, MSF called for the removal of administrative barriers affecting the movement of medical and humanitarian personnel and the delivery of essential supplies.

Sudan’s Acting Health Minister, Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, acknowledged the deterioration of public health in the country due to the ongoing conflict. He noted that this deterioration has led to the emergence of epidemics such as malaria and some childhood diseases.

Sudan has recently witnessed an increase in the spread of seasonal diseases, including dengue fever, malaria, and cholera. The conflict in Sudan, which began on April 15, has resulted in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to the Health Ministry.