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The medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, announced on Friday that it has suspended all  activities at Sudan’s Bashair Teaching Hospital, one of the few remaining facilities providing essential free healthcare in southern Khartoum.

The ongoing conflict, now entering its 20th month, pits Sudan's regular army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by rival generals.

The war has devastated the country, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, and the breakdown of basic services. Currently, over 30 million Sudanese require humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

MSF's suspension of its operations at Bashair Hospital follows repeated violent incidents in the last year, which have jeopardised the safety of both staff and patients.

The charity said in a statement: "Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients.

"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."

The facility, situated in an area under RSF control, has been a critical lifeline for thousands, offering medical care to those wounded by the ongoing airstrikes and bombings that continue to ravage Khartoum.

MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear told the AFP news agency that the suspension was a "tragic decision" that was "not taken lightly."

On 11 November a patient was killed inside the hospital, and just a month later, attackers fired weapons inside the emergency ward, directly threatening medical personnel.

'Scrambling to survive'

The organisation’s emergency coordinator, Claire San Filippo, said: "The suffering we witness in Khartoum is enormous. Intense and extreme violence continues daily.

 "Shortages and blockages of food, supplies and humanitarian aid leave people scrambling to survive. The medical needs are overwhelming. Injuries are often horrific. Mass casualty incidents have become almost routine.

"Our team, hospital staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly in very difficult conditions to provide the medical care. But without the security to operate safely it has become untenable to continue when the lives of our staff and patients are threatened."

Bashair Hospital has become one of the last functioning medical facilities in southern Khartoum, particularly critical for treating victims of airstrikes and shelling, as well as those suffering from extreme malnutrition.

The area has seen a sharp increase in casualties, with up to 50 victims admitted to the emergency room after a single airstrike on January 5, 2025, including 12 dead on arrival.

The ongoing violence has also brought a surge in paediatric and maternity cases, as other hospitals in the region have closed or reduced their services.

MSF had already suspended operations at the nearby Turkish Hospital in July 2024, due to similar security concerns. However, the charity continues to operate in 11 other states across Sudan.

The United Nations has warned that nearly half of Sudan’s population is facing "high levels of acute food insecurity," with an additional 638,000 people now experiencing famine conditions.