Khartoum, Sudan — Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian organization, announced the suspension of its operations at Bashair Teaching Hospital amidst escalating violence. The facility, a crucial provider of free medical care in south Khartoum, has fallen prey to recurring armed incursions, jeopardizing the safety of both healthcare workers and patients.
Over the past 20 months, MSF teams have worked steadfastly with local hospital staff and volunteers to cater to the pressing medical needs of the surrounding community. However, this partnership has been severely tested as militant groups, controlling this part of the city, have frequently stormed the premises. Disturbingly, these intruders have not only disrupted medical procedures but have also prioritized treatment for their fighters, often at the expense of other critically injured patients.
Violence within the hospital’s walls reached a peak when an individual was fatally shot on November 11, 2024, and another incident on December 18 saw assailants fire weapons in the emergency ward, directly threatening the lives of medical personnel.
Claire San Filippo, MSF’s emergency coordinator, expressed deep concern over the dire situation. “The level of violence in Khartoum is overwhelming, with severe shortages of essential goods and humanitarian blockades exacerbating the crisis daily. Despite our best efforts to maintain operations, the constant threat to lives makes it untenable to continue under such perilous conditions,” she stated.
The decision to halt medical services at Bashair Hospital marks a significant setback for healthcare availability in the region, especially given the facility’s role as one of the last functioning hospitals offering free care in the area. The recent months have seen a surge in patients with violent trauma injuries caused by local conflicts, including shelling and airstrikes. On January 5, 2025, an airstrike near the hospital led to an emergency influx of 50 casualties, 12 of whom were deceased upon arrival.
MSF’s commitment to providing medical care under such extreme circumstances has not wavered lightly. Prior to the suspension, the hospital had become a crucial node for treating not just trauma cases but also for addressing increasing demands in pediatric and maternity care, as other local health facilities shuttered or scaled back services.
The organization was also pivotal in addressing outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and dengue while tackling alarming levels of malnutrition among the population. From May 2023 to December 2024 alone, the hospital had treated over 25,000 emergency patients, carried out 3,700 surgical procedures majorly for violence-related injuries, and facilitated nearly 3,800 childbirths, including 850 caesarean sections.
This is not the first time MSF has had to call off its operations due to safety concerns. Similar circumstances forced the organization to suspend activities at the nearby Turkish Hospital in July of the previous year.
San Filippo underscored the broader implications of these suspensions, “Each time an organization like ours halts services, it drastically reduces the community’s access to vital medical care, something they desperately need. A hospital must be a sanctuary of care, not a battleground.”
MSF remains active in 11 states throughout Sudan, including in Omdurman within Khartoum state, hoping that improved conditions will eventually allow them to resume their critical medical services at Bashair Hospital.