Fighting in Sudan’s capital Khartoum has continued into a second week. Image source: GETTY IMAGES
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a “high risk of biological hazard” at a laboratory entangled in the continuing violence in Sudan.
Officials claim that the National Public Health Laboratory in the capital city of Khartoum has been taken over by an unidentified group.
This is despite the fact that the city is still plagued by clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced worry about the lack of power supply, which is impeding the correct management of hazardous biological and chemical materials, including measles and cholera germs.
The facility is currently inaccessible to employees. Additionally, the facility’s dwindling stock of blood bags is in danger of spoiling as a result of the power outages.
Where is the laboratory?
The facility is not far from Khartoum’s main airport and is close to the city’s center.
It is positioned just outside of the region that houses Sudan’s military command center and the majority of the recent combat.
Due to Khartoum’s distinctive geography, strategic locations like military installations are situated close to vital infrastructure.
For instance, a residential area with adjacent schools and hospitals is located next to the military headquarters and airport.
Attacks on important locations consequently have a profound effect on the neighborhood, particularly the provision of healthcare services.
Only a small portion of Khartoum’s medical facilities are currently in use as a result of a variety of issues, including personnel shortages, a lack of medications and other supplies, power outages, and attacks.
According to the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health, 36% of the hospitals in Khartoum City are non-operational, and another 25% are unresponsive.