Turkish Hospital in Sudan. (-)

Medical aid group MSF said it has suspended aid and evacuated staff from Turkish Hospital in the Sudanese capital Khartoum over violence and threats against staff as the months-long war threatens to spiral out of control.

The charity said the decision has not been taken lightly, adding that it followed more than a year of violent incidents both inside and outside the hospital in Khartoum, Sudan.

The head of MSF Emergency Response in Sudan, Claire Nicolet said the the situation in the Turkish hospital, which is located in a Rapid Support Forces-controlled area, has become untenable.

“Multiple violent incidents have taken place inside and outside the premises over the past 12 months, and the lives of our staff have been repeatedly threatened,” Nicolet said, according to the statement.

“Most-recently, on the nights of 17 and 18 June, dozens of wounded combatants were brought to the Turkish hospital, and our team was aggressively woken up as Kalashnikovs were fired into their bedrooms. This type of violence against our staff is unacceptable.”

The aid worker also said hospitals and health facilities should be protected and respected by the warring parties as sanctuaries for the sick and wounded where health workers can safely deliver medical assistance.

MSF said it has managed to provide continuous lifesaving treatment in the facility for almost 14 months, despite many “deliberate obstructions” from the warring parties.

The aid group said, over the past year, MSF staff working at the Turkish hospital have been frequently harassed both inside the facility and on the street going to and from work.

“This type of violence against our staff is unacceptable. Hospitals and health facilities should be protected and respected by the warring parties as sanctuaries for the sick and wounded where health workers can safely deliver medical care. They cannot have their lives put at risk as they try to save the lives of other people.”

In June, MSF and Sudan’s Ministry of Health were forced to shut down South Hospital in El Fasher, after Rapid Support Force (RSF) soldiers stormed the facility, opening fire and looting equipment including an ambulance.

The Sudan war erupted in April 15, 2023, between powerful military commanders, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council General Al Burhan, and RSF’s General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, following a power wrangle.

The conflict in the country of 48 million has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Fighting continues daily in several parts of Sudan, with both sides accused of war crimes including the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and blocking humanitarian aid.