Doctors Without Borders Withdraw From Functional Hospital in Sudan after Attacks

Health workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcome patients in Sudan
Health workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcome patients in Sudan
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Doctors Without Borders Withdraw From Functional Hospital in Sudan after Attacks

Health workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcome patients in Sudan
Health workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcome patients in Sudan

Health workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) were forced on Thursday to suspend work and withdraw from a Sudanese hospital serving hundreds of thousands of people in Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.

The medical humanitarian organization announced it has suspended work at the Madani Teaching Hospital, the only functional hospital for hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of medical assistance.

Already 15 public and private hospitals have gone out of service across the country.

“This extremely difficult decision comes after more than three months of relentless challenges trying to provide care at the hospital, including growing insecurity and repeated security incidents, such as looting and harassment,” MSF said.

The charity group called on the warring parties to stop violating health facilities and guarantee the safety of medical personnel.

The Madani Teaching Hospital is considered the largest in Al Jazirah state. It offers daily medical services to thousands of patients, particularly surgeries and dialysis.

In a report on the health situation in Al Jazira state, the Sudan Doctors’ Union said last Sunday that artificial respirators were stolen from the intensive care department, in addition to operational equipment from the orthopedic department.

The Union said part of the looted equipment was moved by the RSF to the capital, Khartoum.

It then accused military authorities of blocking the delivery of medical supplies from the eastern city of Port Sudan to Wad Madani, and the RSF of looting health equipment from the state.

In Al Jazirah, many medical facilities face major shortages of medical supplies and lack essential utilities such as water and electricity, exacerbating the suffering of patients.

MSF has helped reopen several hospitals in the area months after the RSF controlled the state in mid-December 2023. But the medical facilities are still in dire need of supplies, medicines and electricity.

The charity group’s decision to suspend its work in Wad Madani would definitely worsen the health situation in Al Jarizah, medical sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Hundreds of thousands of citizens stranded in the state’s towns and villages face difficulty in reaching medical facilities in large cities. Some of them will now be forced to travel to states outside the 'war belt' in the east of the country to receive treatment,” the sources said.

A doctor working at a hospital in Al Jazirah, and who asked to remain anonymous, said the limited number of hospitals operating in the state lack the simplest medical equipment and cannot treat the rising cases of bullet wounds.



Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.