SUDAN WATCH: attacks on aid workers

Showing posts with label attacks on aid workers. Show all posts

Thursday, November 02, 2023

OCHA SUDAN: Humanitarian Update (2 Nov 2023)

ANALYSIS from OCHA
Sudan Humanitarian Update (2 November 2023)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

HIGHLIGHTS

• An estimated 5.8 million people have been displaced within and outside Sudan since mid-April 2023.

• A least 85,800 people fled Sudan over the past month seeking safety and protection in neighbouring countries.

• At least 17 people were killed and 17,500 people displaced due to renewed clashes between SAF and RSF in Nyala Town, South Darfur.

• Over 140 people were reportedly killed due to inter-communal fighting in As Sunta and Buram localities in South Darfur.

• Conflict has severely affected agriculture in many parts of the country raising concerns on food security in the coming months.

• The revised 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan appeal is only 33.6 per cent funded as of 2 November.

For previous humanitarian updates:

View full analysis and map:

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/card/1TLaNU0UWB

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Sudan: Humanitarian Key Messages (November 2023):

News and Press Release

Source OCHA

Posted 2 Nov 2023

Originally published 2 Nov 2023

Download Report (PDF | 153.62 KB)

View original: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-key-messages-november-2023

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Wednesday, November 01, 2023

OCHA Sudan: Humanitarian Access Situation Report

TWENTY aid workers have been killed in Sudan this year. Violence against humanitarians and assets continues, including looting of aid trucks, offices and drivers that curtail the capacity of humanitarian organisations. More than 200 visas were pending for international staff in Aug and Sep. More:

Sudan Humanitarian Access Situation Report (August - September 2023)
Source OCHA via ReliefWeb
Dated Monday, 30 October 2023 - here is a copy of the report summary:

This report is produced by OCHA Sudan in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 1 August to 30 September 2023. The next report will be issued in November 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS

Since fighting erupted on 15 April, Sudan is experiencing a large-scale humanitarian crisis, with half the population – 24.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Around 5.3 million people have been displaced within Sudan and to neighbouring countries.

Millions of people particularly in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan lack access to basic services, such as food, water, shelter, health, and education.

Reaching those in need in partially accessible and hard-to-reach areas, remains extremely difficult due to ongoing insecurity, and lack of commitment by the parties to the conflict to provide safe passage.

Relief operations through cross-border and across Sudan are scaling up.

Access and civil-military negotiations have led to a number of successful interventions, resulting in the delivery of 62,546 MT (1,381 trucks) of relief items in August and an additional 36,988 MT (840 trucks) in September targeting displaced communities. The planned movement of 786 MT (21 trucks) to Kordofan and Darfur states has been cancelled due to insecurity.

The cross-border response from Chad complements the in-country response in Sudan by providing additional assistance to people in need in Darfur. At the end of September, the movement of 47 trucks carrying a total of 1,217 metric tons of critical humanitarian supplies had been successfully facilitated.

However, a number of operational obstacles remain that impede a rapid scale-up of aid from reaching those in need, including: operating in Sudan poses a high risk, as seen through the 20 aid workers killed this year. Violence against humanitarian personnel and assets continues, including looting of aid trucks, offices and drivers that curtail the capacity of the humanitarian organizations.

Bureaucratic and administrative impediments (BAIs) prevent the UN and INGOs from delivering aid effectively to the affected population. BAIs impact hiring of international staff, deployment of technical teams, and delivering supplies into and across Sudan. More than 200 visas were pending for international staff in August and September.

Lack of funding is another impediment to the response. A total of US$2.6 billion is required to deliver lifesaving assistance and protection services to 18.1 million people this year. The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is 31.7 per cent funded. Additional funds are urgently needed, including for the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF), which supports national NGOs on the frontline of the response

Download Report
(PDF | 1.3 MB)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

View full report: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-access-situation-report-august-september-2023

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Saturday, July 22, 2023

Medics whipped in Khartoum after convoy attacked. Darfur death toll in one city alone estimate is 3K-11K

Report from BBC News - bbc.co.uk/news

By Muthoni Muchiri

BBC News

Published Friday 21 July 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan conflict: Medics whipped in Khartoum after convoy attacked - MSF

IMAGE SOURCE,

MSF/REUTERS

Image caption,

MSF medics are treating war-wounded across Sudan - and over the border in Chad where many from Darfur are fleeing

Medics in Sudan's capital have been beaten and whipped by armed men who attacked their convoy, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says.

A medical team was taking supplies to the Turkish Hospital in the south of Khartoum when it was attacked on Thursday and one their vehicles stolen.

Since the war erupted in mid-April, it is one of only two hospitals still operating in the south of city.

Both are supported by MSF, which says its aid to them is now in jeopardy.

The vicious power struggle over the last three months between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated medical facilities in the city.

'Death threats'

While more than three million people nationwide have fled their homes since April, millions of others are still stuck in Khartoum, struggling to find medicine and medical assistance.

MSF is one of only a few international aid groups still supporting hospitals in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, helping to keep afloat a health system that has been under strain for decades.

It says it has treated more than 1,600 patients in these hospitals since the conflict began.

But the charity warned this might have to stop because of a dramatic deterioration in security with several incidents in which its staff had been targeted.

During the encounter on Thursday, the armed men began arguing with the 18 people in the MSF convoy made up of four trucks carrying medical supplies.

As well as assaulting the team, the armed men threatened the life of one of the drivers before releasing him and making off with one of the vehicles.

"If an incident like this happens again, and if our ability to move supplies continues to be obstructed, then, regrettably, our presence in the Turkish Hospital will soon become untenable," MSF's Christophe Garnier said in a statement.

The confrontation took place not far from the hospital, where hundreds of patients, including those recently wounded in air strikes, are undergoing treatment.

"On a daily basis, this hospital receives around 15 war wounded patients, carries out lifesaving surgery and keeps patients with chronic diseases alive," MSF said.

According to the AFP news agency, the hospital is in an area of the city controlled by the RSF.

Aerial bombardments have intensified in residential areas of Khartoum where the paramilitary fighters have their bases, it says.

Official figures put the number of dead in the conflict at around 3,000, but it is thought to be far higher.

Some estimates from the western region of Darfur, which have seen the worst of the violence, say the death toll in one city alone is 11,000.

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66273266

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UN deeply concerned by 50+ attacks on aid workers and health care in Sudan in three months -WHO

Report from China View - Xinhuanet english.news.cn
Source: Xinhua. Editor: huaxia
Published on Saturday 22 July at 05:17 - here is a full copy:

UN humanitarians deeply concerned by ongoing attacks on health care in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Humanitarians on Friday expressed deep concern over more than 50 attacks on aid workers and health care in Sudan in three months.

"We are appalled by reports that a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) team was assaulted by armed men in Khartoum yesterday (Thursday)," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

According to OCHA, MSF reported that a 16-person team in Khartoum was aggressively assaulted by a group of armed men who physically beat and whipped them. The assailants detained one of the MSF drivers and, before his release, threatened to kill him. They also stole a vehicle.

MSF said the incident happened as the team was moving medical supplies from the organization's warehouse to the Turkish Hospital, one of only two hospitals still operating in all of southern Khartoum.

"We underscore that attacks on health care workers and facilities are a violation of international humanitarian law," OCHA said. "They must stop now."

The World Health Organization has verified more than 50 attacks on health care since the conflict began in Sudan on April 15.

View original: http://www.chinaview.cn/20230722/2f9a1cf70e2344feba9aa2b64c2a1c4f/c.html

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MSF aid in Khartoum in jeopardy after convoy targeted. MSF treated 1,600 wounded in Khartoum

Report from BBC Live Reporting
Published on Friday 21 July 2023 at 13:18 BST - here is a full copy:

MSF aid in Khartoum 'in jeopardy' after convoy targeted

Those wounded in the conflict have very few places to get medical help

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is considering stopping its vital work in part of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, after a series of incidents in which its workers have been targeted.

The latest one happened on Thursday when a convoy taking medical supplies to the Turkish Hospital in the south of the capital was “stopped by a group of armed men”, MSF has said in a press release.

“After arguing about the reasons for MSF’s presence, the armed men then aggressively assaulted our team, physically beating and whipping them, as well as detaining the driver of one of our vehicles.”

The life of the driver was then threatened and the vehicle was stolen.

The charity has said that its work at the Turkish Hospital is in “serious jeopardy” without safety guarantees.

“In order to save people’s lives, the lives of our staff who are there to carry out this life saving work must not be put at risk. If an incident like this happens again, and if our ability to move supplies continues to be obstructed, then, regrettably, our presence in the Turkish Hospital will soon become untenable,” Christophe Garnier, MSF’s emergencies manager for Sudan, said.

The hospital is only one of two operating in southern Khartoum, both of which MSF supports, the charity says.

There are very few other international charities working in the country.

As the three-month conflict between the army and a paramilitary force continues, the few remaining medical facilities in Khartoum are struggling to treat wounded patients.

MSF says it has treated over 1,600 war-wounded patients in the capital since April.

Image caption: Those wounded in the conflict have very few places to get medical help

Click here to view original.

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