Sudan's Healthcare on Brink Amid Fighting & Targeted Attacks on Medical Workers, Hospitals Worldwide

Fighting between rival military factions in Sudan targeting medical facilities has left the country’s healthcare system on the verge of collapse. With a limited amount of power, water and medical supplies, and doctors fleeing the country for safety, less than a third of hospitals in the country’s conflict zones remain open. Calling this situation a calamity, Dr. Khidir Dalouk, advocacy director of the Sudanese American Physicians Association, joins the show to share the perspective of healthcare workers in the country. “We, as physicians, have sworn an oath to treat and take care of civilians and military, whether it’s in peace or it’s in war.”

Meanwhile, a new report shows 2022 was the most severe year of attacks against healthcare facilities and personnel worldwide in the last decade, with over half of the documented attacks in Ukraine and Burma. Attacks on medical facilities are a widespread and common problem in conflict when military leaders ignore international rules protecting healthcare, according to Christina Wille, director of Insecurity Insight, which contributed to the new report, “Ignoring Red Lines: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict.”