Sudan’s man-made mass-deaths must & can stop. Sudan conflict devastates medical infrastructure

“THE situation in health clinics is beyond words,” said Amelie Chbat, who oversees health programs for the ICRC in Sudan, adding “The injured lack medicines, food, and water, and the elderly, women, and children are without essential treatments like dialysis or diabetes medications. And the situation is deteriorating.” Full story here below.

Sudan’s man-made mass-deaths must & can stop: 
NRC meets women who flee their homes under gunfire; pregnant women walking for days without shoes; people selling everything just to eat.
If nothing changes countless communities in Sudan will starve to death

NRC's @WillCarter_NRC⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1tt6DLin05

— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) August 9, 2024

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Related report

From Sudan Tribune
Dated Thursday, August 8, 2024 

'Sudan conflict devastates medical infrastructure: ICRC 

ICRC aid workers bid farewell to Sudanese women during an evacuation of orphans outside Khartoum on June 9, 2023

Sudan conflict devastates medical infrastructure says ICRC. Two out of three Sudanese civilians no longer have access to essential health services after most of the country’s hospitals and health centers were forced to close their doors, an aid agency said on Thursday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said doctors and nurses have been killed and wounded, and many health facilities have been damaged by shelling and airstrikes since the conflict broke out in mid-April last year.

Repeated attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have severe consequences amidst the worsening food crisis, the agency said, noting that healthcare centers are crucial for preventing, detecting and treating malnutrition.

Their ability to function is vital for the most vulnerable, including pregnant and lactating mothers and children under the age of five.

“The situation in health clinics is beyond words,” said Amelie Chbat, who oversees health programs for the ICRC in Sudan, adding “The injured lack medicines, food, and water, and the elderly, women, and children are without essential treatments like dialysis or diabetes medications. And the situation is deteriorating.”

The number of reports of looting and vandalizing healthcare facilities, threats and physical violence against staff and patients, and the denial of healthcare services to civilians is reportedly increasing. In addition, it stated, fighters and civilians die because they are prevented from receiving medical attention in time.

According to the aid agency, the entire communities are cut off from vital services, such as maternity care, childcare, and vaccinations due to the conflict.

The ICRC reminded the parties to the conflict that such actions will have severe and long-lasting consequences for the entire Sudanese population and that protecting healthcare is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article289300/#google_vignette

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Sudan: SpaceX to shut off Starlink access for users outside availability areas by 30 April 2024

SPACEX to shut off Starlink access for users outside availability areas by 30 April 2024. Read full story here below followed by a related post at X by Will Carter, Sudan Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Article from pcmag.com
By Michael Kan 
Dated April 16, 2024 - here is a full copy:

SpaceX to Shut Off Starlink Access for Users Outside Availability Areas

The decision is upsetting users based in Africa, where internet speeds are often slow. But SpaceX says it needs to crack down as it waits for regulatory approval in the affected countries.

SpaceX is preparing to shut down Starlink for customers using the satellite internet service in countries outside its official "availability" zones. 

On Tuesday, the company sent an email to users in Africa, where Starlink is still waiting to receive regulatory approval in several countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

"If you are operating your Starlink Kit in an area other than areas designated as 'Available' on the Starlink Availability Map, we would like to remind you that this is in violation of the Starlink Terms," SpaceX wrote in the email. 

SpaceX is preparing to shut down Starlink for customers using the satellite internet service in countries outside its official "availability" zones. 

On Tuesday, the company sent an email to users in Africa, where Starlink is still waiting to receive regulatory approval in several countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

"If you are operating your Starlink Kit in an area other than areas designated as 'Available' on the Starlink Availability Map, we would like to remind you that this is in violation of the Starlink Terms," SpaceX wrote in the email. 

“If you have been using a 'Mobile - Regional' plan for more than two months outside of the country in which you ordered Starlink, you must either see Support FAQs to change your account country or return to the country in which your service was ordered. Otherwise, your service will be restricted,” the message says. 

The email goes on to say SpaceX is working as quickly as possible to obtain regulatory approvals from local governments. Still, the decision is upsetting users in Africa, where internet speeds can often be painfully slow, depending on the location. “This is so frustrating,” wrote one Facebook user based in Sudan. 

On Reddit, another added: "This is the worst news ever. My family and friends are in Sudan and there is a total communication blackout. [The] only source of internet is Starlink and now they do this." Meanwhile, others wonder if subscribing to the Starlink Roam international plan will allow them to bypass the coming restriction.

SpaceX’s email also suggests it’ll impose the restrictions on all users who’ve been operating Starlink outside the company’s availability zone. This could include Iran, where activists have been smuggling in Starlink units to help local residents receive access to an unfiltered version of the internet. In response, the Iranian government has been urging international regulators to force SpaceX to crack down. 

SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, making it unclear if the upcoming restriction will expand to other continents. But so far, it appears the company only sent Tuesday's email to users based in Africa.

View full story: https://uk.pcmag.com/networking/151883/spacex-to-shut-off-starlink-access-for-users-outside-availability-areas

__________________________________

HERE is a copy of a post at X by Will Carter, Sudan Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Dear Mr @elonmusk, 

@SpaceX’s service is a lifeline in warzones like #Sudan. Civilians all over can contact loved ones, emergency responders continue, and facts be told, all with the magic of your machinery. As we face famine, please reconsider. Best, W

https://twitter.com/WillCarter_NRC/status/1781394263541985682

END

Sudan: Tele-health clinic for people in Sudan available daily Khartoum time 10am-6pm, for next 3 months

💡! 🩺⚕️❤️‍🩹
Tele-#health clinic for people in #Sudan available daily Khartoum time 10am - 6pm, for at least the next three months. WhatsApp link in the post below.
Share onwards if you can https://t.co/cL7UJfFaox

— William Carter (@WillCarter_NRC) April 20, 2024

View original post and comments: 

https://twitter.com/WillCarter_NRC/status/1781764343647948894

END 

Sudan: Kordofan region becomes a new war zone. Dilling in South Kordofan is in peril due to armed conflict between three powerful warring parties

HERE is a copy of a Jan 12 post at X by Will Carter @WillCarter_NRC, Country Director for Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Sudan. Note that it says: "the entire State of South Kordofan has largely been cut off from vital humanitarian aid since April. Many civilians are trapped with no way to reach safer places. NRC staff in South Kordofan, like most civilians, have mostly been unable to communicate.  Kordofan region becomes a new war zone". Read full text below.

We're gravely concerned that another city in #Sudan, Dilling in South #Kordofan, is in terrible peril, due to armed conflict between three powerful warring parties.

Over the past few days, thousands of residents have been forced to leave, although the city is now surrounded by…

— William Carter (@WillCarter_NRC) January 12, 2024 

"We're gravely concerned that another city in #Sudan, Dilling in South #Kordofan, is in terrible peril, due to armed conflict between three powerful warring parties. 

Over the past few days, thousands of residents have been forced to leave, although the city is now surrounded by these military, paramilitary, and rebel forces and some are unable to flee. 

A looming threat of #ethnic violence hangs over Dilling and beyond. Further, the entire State of South Kordofan has largely been cut off from vital humanitarian aid since April, due to unsafe roads, denied permissions for #humanitarian workers, frequent clashes, and a significant presence of armed groups. 

Many civilians are trapped with no way to reach safer places. This may be the first time since April that Sudan has seen its three most powerful forces engaged in a single battle, marking a troubling new phase in this escalating and fragmenting civil war. 

Our staff in South Kordofan, like most civilians, have mostly been unable to communicate. Although we are in daily contact, how this armed conflict will affect the millions of people in the greater (and extremely neglected) Kordofan region is an anxious uncertainty. 

As the Kordofan region becomes a new #war zone, it's crucial that all warring parties prioritise protecting civilians, allow safe passage for those fleeing, and ensure unrestricted access for humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened so far."

9:55 AM · Jan 12, 2024
https://twitter.com/WillCarter_NRC/status/1745746200832176454

ENDS

Sudan: "300,000 fled in 72 hrs with little to survive on. Most in makeshift shelters with no food. We're giving relief items tomorrow in Sennar & Gedaref. But we've little left. This is catastrophic". -Will Carter, NRC

UN is saying up to 300,000 people have left Gezira state since the RSF advance began on Friday, mostly to states that are already full to capacity.

300,000 people fled in 72 hours.
There's so little for them to survive on; most live in makeshift shelters with no food.
We're finishing needs assessments & starting distributions of relief items tomorrow in Sennar, then Gedaref. But we've little left.

This is catastrophic. https://t.co/CsM2cikhQ9 pic.twitter.com/CR3kRgmEd3

— William Carter (@WillCarter_NRC) December 18, 2023

END

Sudan: Hundreds of thousands who fled Khartoum warfare & airstrikes are now facing it in Wad Madani

#Sudan: “This is a terrible turn of events. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled from urban warfare and airstrikes in Khartoum are now facing this all again in a place they thought was safe.” @WillCarter_NRC to @guardianhttps://t.co/xFUQfNkBDg

— NRC East Africa and Yemen (@NRC_EAY) December 18, 2023

__________________________

Thousands flee Wad Madani, Sudan's second city, to escape fighting

Click here to view the above report at The Guardian online

Written by Zeinab Mohammed Salih in Khartoum 

Dated Saturday, 16 December 2023 17.58 GMT - excerpt:

In Djibouti last weekend the two warring sides committed to pursuing a ceasefire under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s facilitation, an east African political body, but the army on Thursday bombed the city of Neyala, the capital of South Darfur state, killing many people, among them several civilians. Neyala is now being controlled by the RSF after intense fighting that lasted for months. Three other major states have fallen under the RSF, leaving only North Darfur under the army control.

Several aid organisations have suspended their work in Madani, which had become a hub for humanitarian work after war broke out in Khartoum, following the latest developments.

“We have paused our work in Wad Madani while conflict has erupted there, we will resume as soon as possible,” said William Carter, the country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“The numbers of people displaced are already in their thousands, and likely to grow as the fighting continues. We’ve dispatched emergency response teams to areas that people are fleeing to, such as Sennar and Gedaref states.

“This is a terrible turn of events. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled from urban warfare and airstrikes in Khartoum are now facing this all again in a place they thought was safe.”

A boy displaced by the conflict in Wad Madani walks with his belongings on 16 December. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

END

Sudan: Statement by Will Carter, country director of NRC in Sudan, on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State

THE following post by NRC published today (Sun 17 Dec) at X was reposted at X by Jan Egeland @NRC_Egeland Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) @NRC_Norway @Flyktninghjelp. The post says: 

"Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days. “A continuous flow of people, many of them who already ran for their lives just a few months ago, are now rushing towards already fragile neighbouring states. -Will Carter, Country Director, Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan NRC” -Norwegian Refugee Council (@NRC_Norway) December 17, 2023"

The post attaches another post by NRC published today at X, it says:

"We are deeply concerned about the escalating conflict at the doors of Wad Madani in #Sudan, where 700,000 people live, including many who have sought refuge after fleeing Khartoum. Statement by @WillCarter_NRC"

Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days. https://t.co/GFp9nxrXH2 pic.twitter.com/cTvbPqPlbs

— Norwegian Refugee Council (@NRC_Norway) December 17, 2023

Note, the post provides a link to a statement by Will Carter, country director of NRC in Sudan. The statement is copied in full here below.

Also, a post by @WillCarter_NRC today at X, says: 

"Civilians who fled Khartoum’s urban war zone are displaced again—it’s terrifying & traumatising. We’re doing our best to quickly respond to emergency needs: mobilised teams + sent remaining supplies to Sennar & Gedaref; supporting local responders expand the collective shelters. 11:36 AM · Dec 17, 2023"

_________________________

Statement from the website of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Published Sunday, 17 Dec 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Statement on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State, Sudan 

Statement by William Carter, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director of NRC in Sudan on ongoing attack in Al Jazirah State. 

“The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is deeply concerned about the escalating conflict at the doors of Wad Madani, the densely populated capital state of Al Jazirah, Sudan, where 700,000 people live, including 84,000 people who have sought refuge after fleeing Khartoum.  

“Wad Madani has been a place of refuge for those displaced from Khartoum, including for humanitarian and medical evacuation efforts. Now the fighting is approaching, and heavy artillery and gunfire have been heard for three days.  

“A continuous flow of people, many of them who already ran for their lives just a few months ago, are now rushing towards already heavily burdened and resource-depleted cities in neighbouring states. We are also extremely worried for highly vulnerable families in Wad Madani who have been crammed into displacement sites in schools for months and have nowhere to hide from violence, no means to escape and nowhere else to flee.  

"This is more than another city being attacked, it is one of Sudan’s few remaining sanctuaries that could be under fire.  

“We urgently call on all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law, emphasizing that all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid and minimize the loss of civilian life and injuries, as well as damage to civilian objects. We also demand that all parties allow for the safe passage of individuals fleeing the conflict and the urgent delivery of lifesaving assistance.”    

Note to editors:  

 

* There are more than half a million people displaced within in Al Jazirah, including 145,000 people who are crammed in public buildings, such as schools.  

* At the time of writing, an estimated 15,000 people are now fleeing the city towards neighbouring states.  * About 1.9 million people are in crisis (IPC 3) and above levels of food insecurity in Al Jazirah state, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).   

* NRC is present in Wad Madani since June 2023, and supported more than 34,000 people in the city since the war.    

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:  

 

* NRC Sudan Advocacy Manager (currently in Nairobi), Mathilde Vu: mathilde.vu@nrc.no, WhatsApp +249 911 219 775  

* NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329  

Label: Sudan 

View original: https://www.nrc.no/news/2023/december/statement-on-ongoing-attack-in-al-jazirah-state-sudan/ 

END

Sudan: Majority of humanitarian NGO have *not* been issued new sudan visas since conflict began

"The denial of humanitarian assistance as a crime under international law"

A TWEET by William Carter @WillCarter_NRC
Father. Country Director #Sudan @NRC_Norway
Dated Sunday 18 June 2023; 2:50 pm - full copy:

majority of #humanitarian ngo have *not* been issued new #sudan visas in the two months since the #conflict began

about 100 visa applications are still pending from over 30 orgs

we've had a team of 20 on standby for over a month - we could've helped 200k #displaced people by now.  instead its far less, and will take longer - time which nobody can afford

its clear that humanitarian #access is impeded but unclear if its indecision or intention.  its not a capacity bottleneck - visas are issued for non-humanitarian efforts

regardless, ministries and federal authorities can and should easily unblock this

these unnecessary delays have huge, real-life consequence for the humanitarian response, for delivering #aid and services to millions who are suffering

un ga resolution 46/182 outlines that 'states whose populations are in need of humanitarian assistance are called upon to facilitate the work of these organisations in implementing humanitarian assistance' (para. 6), and that the un has a 'central and unique role to play' to 'ensure the prompt and smooth delivery of relief assistance' (para. 13) -- so the un in all its councils, assemblies, members, and agencies all need to fulfil their role too

this hasn't happened yet

i often reflect on this icrc article, which argues that the denial of humanitarian assistance is a crime under international law (https://icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/article/other/57jq32.htm…), and wonder why global, continental, and regional powers so easily tolerate such arbitrary impediments from the icrc's commentary of the geneva conventions, which form the core of international humanitarian #law and regulate the conduct of armed conflict, they outline that its not really up to the discretion of warring parties: 

"if the survival of the population is threatened and a humanitarian organization fulfilling the required conditions of impartiality and non-discrimination is able to remedy this situation, relief actions must take place (...) [a] refusal would be equivalent to a violation of the rule prohibiting the use of starvation as a method of combat"

there are positive signs of support and permission with many state-level authorities, embassy consular staff, and even the federal-level humanitarian aid commission is supportive of ngo visa issuance, but:

-not all high-level decision-makers are facilitating

-few stakeholders are confronting/resolving this

-ngos are operating, but quickly scaling is v difficult

-all sudanese civilians are suffering for it

View original: 

https://twitter.com/WillCarter_NRC/status/1670428651299405825

[Ends]