MSF Withdraws Staff from Zalingei Hospital

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Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has withdrawn its staff from Zalingei Hospital in Central Darfur, Sudan, after one of its colleagues from the Ministry of Health was killed on 18 November. The organization renewed its call on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to ensure the protection of medical facilities and health personnel.

MSF offered its condolences to the family of the Ministry of Health stretcher-bearer who was shot dead outside Zalingei Hospital, an incident that also left four others injured. Following this attack—and for the second time this year—the organization said it had been forced to pull its teams out of the hospital to ensure their safety.

“Our teams cannot resume their humanitarian activities unless the RSF guarantees safe conditions for the protection of staff and patients. It is unacceptable for armed clashes to affect medical facilities and humanitarian assistance,” said Mariem Al Aroussi, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Darfur.
MSF stated that it continues to engage with authorities while providing support in human resources and medical supplies.

This incident follows an earlier suspension in August, when MSF halted all activities at the hospital after a grenade exploded inside the facility on the night of 16 August. That attack killed one person and injured five others, including a Ministry of Health staff member. A reduced MSF team continued providing basic care until the organization resumed full activities on 31 August after discussions with key stakeholders.

Measles Outbreak

MSF warned that ongoing violence is preventing hundreds of people in need from accessing healthcare, at a time when the organization is responding to a measles outbreak in the area.

“Many of the measles patients we are treating are also suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which increases the risk of serious medical complications,” said José Sanchez, MSF Medical Coordinator in Darfur. “Malnutrition combined with measles can be fatal.”

MSF teams have recorded a worrying rise in measles cases over recent months.

“It is crucial that our teams continue providing urgent medical care at the hospital,” Sanchez stressed.