By Bunmi Yekini
Nearly one in six war-wounded patients treated at Bashair Teaching Hospital in south Khartoum this year haven’t been children under the age of 15, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The hospital, one of the few still operational in the area, is overwhelmed with cases involving gunshots, blasts, and shrapnel injuries as conflict in Sudan intensifies.
Doctors say the situation is critical. “Eighteen-month-old Riyad was napping at home when a stray bullet struck his side,” said Dr. Moeen*, an MSF medical team leader. “The team spent hours stabilizing him, but with limited surgical resources, the bullet remains lodged in his chest.” Mass casualty incidents are becoming more frequent. In late October, a market explosion near the hospital brought in over 30 injured patients in a single day, including 12 children. Among them was a 20-month-old girl with shrapnel embedded in her head. “As we placed her on the X-ray table, part of her skull fell off,” said Dr. Moeen* (*Name changed for security reasons). “She survived, but others aren’t so lucky.”
Adding to the crisis, severe malnutrition is on the rise. Between October 19 and November 8, over 1,500 patients were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition at Bashair, including many children and pregnant women. MSF Emergency Coordinator Claire San Filippo described the situation as dire. “These figures of violence and malnutrition highlight the nightmare civilians, particularly children, are enduring in Khartoum. Medical supplies must be allowed into hospitals, and civilians must be protected.”
Since April 2023, Sudan’s conflict has displaced over 11 million people and created one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history. MSF has supported 12 health facilities across the country, treating over 6,500 war-wounded this year alone.
Despite these efforts, facilities like Bashair Hospital remain stretched to their limits as violence and need continue to escalate.