McMaster Friends of MSF

Written By: Mohammed Al-Rawi

Sudan is currently facing a severe national crisis, driven by political strife and power struggles. Following a military coup in 2021 and a significant conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2023, the country is now grappling with a dire new challenge: a ban on surgical supplies for hospitals in Khartoum.^1-3

In 2021, the Sudanese military arrested five senior government officials, initiating a coup that plunged the nation into turmoil.¹ Two years later, the conflict escalated dramatically as the Sudanese military clashed with the RSF, resulting in widespread warfare, including gunfire and airstrikes, and numerous mass casualty incidents.³

Recently, Sudanese authorities have imposed a ban on surgical supplies in Khartoum. This ban has significant implications for healthcare in the area, particularly for hospitals under RSF control, which now face severe shortages of essential medical equipment.⁴

The repercussions of this ban are expected to be catastrophic. Among the most frequently performed surgeries in Khartoum hospitals are cesarean sections (c-sections).³ From August to October 2023 alone, 170 c-sections were performed. Without the necessary surgical supplies, the mortality rate among pregnant women and their babies could increase dramatically.³

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been tirelessly working to provide medical and surgical interventions in Khartoum and Omdurman despite the ongoing crisis.⁵ However, the ban on essential surgical supplies has severely hampered these efforts. MSF has been appealing to the Sudanese authorities to lift the ban to allow for the resumption of critical medical procedures.³

The situation in Sudan remains dire, with the ban on surgical supplies exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis. It is crucial for the international community to support efforts aimed at lifting this ban to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

References

1. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Crisis in Sudan. Doctors Without Borders – USA. Published May 19, 2023. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/crisis-in-sudan/ 
2. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Conflict in Sudan. Doctors Without Borders – USA. https://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan 
3. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Sudan: MSF says unconscionable surgical ban in Khartoum must be immediately reversed. Doctors Without Borders – USA. Published November 14, 2023. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/sudan-msf-says-unconscionable-surgical-ban-in-khartoum-must-be-immediately-reversed/#:~:text=An%20unconscionable%20ban%20that%20is,% 2FMédecins%20Sans%20Frontières%20(MSF)
4. Relief Web (RW). Sudan: End the ban on lifesaving surgical supplies. OCHA. Published November 14, 2023. https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-end-ban-lifesaving-surgical-supplies#:~:text=As%20fighting%20continues%20between%20the, lifesaving%20surgeries%2C%20including%20Cesarean%20sections.
5. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Sudan crisis response. Doctors Without Borders – USA. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudan-crisis-response#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20MSF%20teams%20responded, Nile%20states%2C%20causing%20further%20displacement.