The following is an opinion piece that has appeared in DEVEX by Dr. Khidir Dalouk, advocacy director for the Sudanese American Physicians Association and a cardiac electrophysiologist based in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Dalouk relates the dilemma facing aid agencies in trying to deliver aid during a period in which two warring armies each claim to represent the government - civil society appears to be the only channel, but may itself be disorganized and unable to reach all who need aid.
Sudan is on fire. More than two months since the onset of clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, the conflict has devolved into a full-blown catastrophe for millions from Khartoum to Darfur. The unwillingness of both sides to commit to a sustained ceasefire, despite the good-faith efforts of international brokers, has set the stage for an entrenched war, with consequences that are sure to reverberate across the region.
Given the utter collapse of Sudanese infrastructure and state capacity, as well as understandable Western hesitancy to funnel aid to either of the two warring parties, the international community faces undeniable challenges in formulating a response. That’s exactly where Sudanese civil society can fill the gaps.
Even in the face of death, desperation, and a health care sector obliterated by the conflict, local civil society — and in particular the medical community — have sprung into action, rallying to help those most in need and save lives.
Sudanese civil society members are fighting every day to keep their country afloat, the Western response should honor their undying commitment.—
Obstetricians performing cesarean sections by phonelight, midwives racing through streets engulfed in gunfire to collect patients, and emergency room doctors manually pumping air into a dying patient’s lungs for 24 hours straight are just a few of the awe-inspiring and horrifying stories I’ve heard from doctors on the front lines.
Health personnel in Sudan have persevered under circumstances almost beyond comprehension — at least 19 have been killed while others are targeted with daily death threats, detained and denounced as partisan by both warring parties, and forced to take shelter in crowded wards.
The humanitarian response
The courageous efforts of Sudanese health personnel and civil society organizations demonstrate that they will be dependable and effective aid partners if the international response provides them with what they need.
Sudan is on fire. More than two months since the onset of clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, the conflict has devolved into a full-blown catastrophe for millions from Khartoum to Darfur. The unwillingness of both sides to commit to a sustained ceasefire, despite the good-faith efforts of international brokers, has set the stage for an entrenched war, with consequences that are sure to reverberate across the region.
Given the utter collapse of Sudanese infrastructure and state capacity, as well as understandable Western hesitancy to funnel aid to either of the two warring parties, the international community faces undeniable challenges in formulating a response. That’s exactly where Sudanese civil society can fill the gaps.
Even in the face of death, desperation, and a health care sector obliterated by the conflict, local civil society — and in particular the medical community — have sprung into action, rallying to help those most in need and save lives.
Sudanese civil society members are fighting every day to keep their country afloat, the Western response should honor their undying commitment.—
Obstetricians performing cesarean sections by phonelight, midwives racing through streets engulfed in gunfire to collect patients, and emergency room doctors manually pumping air into a dying patient’s lungs for 24 hours straight are just a few of the awe-inspiring and horrifying stories I’ve heard from doctors on the front lines.
Health personnel in Sudan have persevered under circumstances almost beyond comprehension — at least 19 have been killed while others are targeted with daily death threats, detained and denounced as partisan by both warring parties, and forced to take shelter in crowded wards.
The humanitarian response
The courageous efforts of Sudanese health personnel and civil society organizations demonstrate that they will be dependable and effective aid partners if the international response provides them with what they need.
This is an excerpt from a longer article on DEVEX. Click here for the full article.
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