Federal Minister of Health, Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, says 1,500 civilians have been killed during the war, as concerns grow over deteriorating environmental conditions with the start of the rainy season, as bodies scattered due to ongoing battles in Khartoum and other cities for about four months.
The United Nations says that 80% of healthcare facilities in Sudan have stopped operating due to shelling, forced evacuations, and a shortage of medical supplies.
Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim stated that the Ministry of Health “has recorded the death of 1,500 civilians and the injury of more than 6,000 individuals due to the fighting.” He expects that the actual number of casualties is higher than what has been recorded, given the difficulty of getting all cases to hospitals or mortuaries. Dozens have been forced to bury the victims in some houses, public roads, squares, and neighbourhoods, as they cannot access cemeteries due to the ongoing battles.
The minister expressed concern about the deteriorating health and environmental situation due to the spread of bodies in some states, especially the capital, Khartoum, and the Darfur region, and their exposure to rainwater, emphasizing that the bodies can cause many epidemics.
He noted during his visits to some areas of Khartoum State that while some populated neighbourhoods do not have bodies, this does not eliminate the risks, according to his statement.
The Minister of Health pointed out the registration of more than 3,000 cases of measles in 8 different states in the country, in addition to 58 deaths. He stated that the most affected states are White Nile and Blue Nile.