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Medics under siege: 'We took this photo, fearing it would be our last'

Published 2 months ago2 minute read
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Saudi Hospital also serves the camp, with MSF running ambulances to bring in emergency cases.

But these have also recently started coming under attack, including an incident earlier this month when a gunman shot at a "clearly marked ambulance with the MSF logo and flag".

"We are horrified by this deadly attack on a humanitarian crew carrying out life-saving medical work where it's desperately needed," MSF's Michel Olivier Lacharité said in a statement.

Mudathir Ibrahim Suleiman A bomb shelter in the compound of el-Fasher's Saudi Hospital - it shows corrugated iron sheets covered with orange soil and sand bags.Mudathir Ibrahim Suleiman

A bomb shelter has been built in the grounds of Saudi Hospital

Dr Ibo admitted it was his colleagues - there are 35 doctors and 60 nurses at Saudi Hospital - who kept him going.

''We lose people every day, and offices and rooms are destroyed, but thanks to the determination of the young staff, we continue to persevere.

''We draw our resilience from the people of el-Fasher - we are its children and graduates of the University of el-Fasher."

Aid agencies are warning that one of the worst maternal and child health emergencies is unfolding in Darfur, where some areas are also being targeted in air strikes by the military.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a halt to attacks on health facilities and adherence to international humanitarian laws.

"The sanctity of health must be respected even in war," WHO Sudan communications officer Loza Mesfin Tesfaye told the BBC.

Dr Mohammed, who is originally from Sudan's White Nile State but came to el-Fasher to study medicine in 2014, also pays homage to his team, who have ignored many opportunities to flee.

"Our souls refused to abandon the people of this city - especially given the catastrophic conditions we witness daily."

All the medics, who communicated via chats and voice notes on WhatsApp, sounded focused.

''We are determined to continue saving lives, from wherever we can, even underground or under the shade of a tree, we pray for the war to end and for peace to prevail," said Dr Ibo.

Additional reporting by Sudanese journalist Mohammed Zakaria

Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

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