Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended activities at Zalingei hospital in Sudan’s Central Darfur following an armed attack that left one dead and five others injured.
MSF said in a press release that the grave violation of medical space had forced it to suspend all activities at a time when the region was facing its deadliest outbreak in years.
The press release seen by Radio Tamazuj Tuesday said the death and the injuries resulted from a grenade explosion inside the hospital after armed individuals clashed within the facility. Among the injured was a Ministry of Health staff member supported by MSF.
The suspension of medical activities comes during a deadly cholera outbreak, but MSF said it could not resume operations until all parties provided clear security guarantees to protect staff and patients.
The assault took place on the night of August 16 after a deceased person with a gunshot wound, reportedly from a looting incident in a nearby camp for displaced people, was brought to the emergency room around 8:20 p.m.
“Armed relatives of the deceased forcefully entered the hospital. Soon after, another patient with gunshot injuries arrived, also accompanied by armed individuals. Tensions between the groups accompanying the patients escalated inside the facility, and at 10 p.m., a hand grenade was detonated in front of the emergency room, killing one person. Five others were injured, including one Ministry of Health medical staff,” MSF explained.
MSF’s emergency coordinator in Darfur, Marwan Taher, said suspending activities and evacuating the teams was a decision no medical organization wants to make, but that staff cannot risk their lives while providing care.
Since August 1, MSF had been leading a cholera emergency response at Zalingei hospital, treating 162 patients in just 16 days, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health. Cholera has already claimed seven lives, and Zalingei hospital was the only facility equipped to treat severe cases in Central Darfur State. MSF teams also supported the State Ministry of Health with surveillance to contain the outbreak.
Beyond cholera, the hospital provided over 1,500 gynecological consultations, 1,400 pediatric consultations, and 80 surgeries between May and July 2024. As the only referral hospital serving around 500,000 people, it was the sole facility managing complex cases in the area. MSF’s mobile clinic in Fogodiku locality and its community engagement and health promotion activities have also been suspended, leaving thousands without essential care.
For more than 40 years, MSF has been on the frontlines of Sudan’s major crises, from disease outbreaks to malnutrition peaks, and continues to support communities through the ongoing conflict.
In February 2024, armed men broke into Zalingei hospital and carjacked MSF rental vehicles, forcing the temporary withdrawal of the assessment team. The August 16 assault marked the second major security incident at Zalingei hospital in 18 months.
“Attacks on hospitals and medical staff are unacceptable and put lives at risk,” said Taher.
“The presence of guns inside a medical facility makes it impossible for our teams to operate safely. Without clear guarantees from the concerned parties for the safety of both Ministry of Health and MSF staff, we cannot continue our work. People in Zalingei urgently need healthcare, and their access to it must be protected,” he asserted.