WHO Alarmed by Reports of Detentions of Health Workers and Civilians in Sudan

WHO Alarmed by Reports of Detentions of Health Workers and Civilians in Sudan
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed alarm over reports that more than 70 health workers and around 5,000 civilians are being forcibly detained in Nyala, the capital of Sudan’s South Darfur state, as reported by Arab News.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the detentions were taking place amid ongoing fighting between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has raged since April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced around 12 million, and severely damaged the country’s infrastructure.

Citing the Sudan Doctors Network, Tedros said the detainees were being held in overcrowded and unhealthy conditions, with reports of disease outbreaks. He added that the WHO was gathering further information, noting that insecurity on the ground was complicating assessments.

“The reported detentions of health workers and thousands of civilians are deeply concerning,” Tedros said, calling for their safe and unconditional release and stressing that health workers and civilians must be protected at all times.

The WHO, which tracks and verifies attacks on health care without assigning blame, has recorded 65 attacks on health facilities in Sudan this year, resulting in 1,620 deaths and 276 injuries.

Separately, UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned of escalating hostilities in southern Sudan’s Kordofan region and urged an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing that medical personnel and facilities are protected under international humanitarian law.