Sudan Doctors Network: ‘RSF shelling devastates health services in South Kordofan’

Health facilities in Delling, South Kordofan, have come under repeated shelling, pushing the city’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse, the Sudan Doctors Network reported on Sunday.

In a statement today, the network said the systematic targeting of medical facilities by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied force, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North led by Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N) has crippled services and left civilians without access to essential care.

Dr Tasnim Al Amin, spokesperson for the network, said the attacks have forced many medical facilities out of service. She reported that Delling Teaching Hospital sustained severe damage and now operates only partially, while other hospitals have been out of service for some time.

According to the network, at least 10 health centres have also shut down, including those offering nutrition and reproductive health services.

The network said four hospitals are now fully or partially out of service, alongside the closure of most primary healthcare centres.

They added in their statement, that the continued shelling has led to the near total collapse of the city’s health system. It cited acute shortages of medical staff, medicines, equipment, and essential supplies, as well as the breakdown of X ray machines and the urgent need for repairs.

Their statement warned of the increasingly difficult nature for health facilities in the region to provide care, placing thousands of civilians, especially women and children, at serious risk.

The network called for an immediate halt to attacks on medical facilities and urged the opening of safe humanitarian corridors to allow the delivery of medical supplies and the deployment of health workers.

It also appealed to international, regional, and humanitarian organisations to take urgent action to support and rehabilitate the city’s health sector, warning that swift intervention is needed to prevent further loss of life and worsening humanitarian conditions.