Sudan - WHO warns of biological risks after occupation of laboratory in Sudan that has dangerous samples

[Treyfish]

Published April 26, 2023 6:30pm EDT
Sudan lab takeover by fighters does not 'dramatically change the existing health threat posture': US official

Sporadic gunfire broke out in Sudan despite a 72-hour truce


A U.S. official said on Wednesday that the takeover of a national health lab by Sudanese fighters does not "dramatically change the existing health threat posture," pushing back against a warning from the World Health Organization that the seizure poses "a huge biological risk."...A U.S. official familiar with the matter said on Wednesday that it is "clearly" not a good situation, but downplayed the WHO's assessment.

"The National Public Health Laboratory in question is the Sudanese’s reference lab for its health system. This means the pathogens stored there are already in the population (e.g., TB, COVID, Cholera). Therefore, medical and intelligence experts assess at this time the current situation does not dramatically change the existing health threat posture," the official said.

"There is also at this time no assessed tie between the looters and terrorist organizations; nevertheless, we continue to track the situation with allies and partners."...https://www.foxnews.com/world/sudan-...��

[Treyfish]

Fighters Seize Bio Lab in Sudan, Sparking Fears of Potential ‘Germ Bomb’

By Debra Heine
April 26, 2023
A potential “germ bomb” of polio, measles and cholera pathogens is now in the hands of Sudanese fighters after they seized the National Public Health Laboratory in the nation’s capital Khartoum, according to reports. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization warned that the situation posed a “huge biological risk.”

“This is the main concern: no accessibility to the lab technicians to go to the lab and safely contain the biological material and substances available,” said Nima Saeed Abidhe, the WHO’s representative in Sudan.

Hostilities between the Sudanese armed forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries began on April 15, reportedly leaving at least 459 people dead and another 4,072 wounded.

Abidhe, who spoke to reporters in Geneva remotely from Sudan, described the lab seizure as “extremely dangerous because we have polio isolates in the lab, we have measles isolates in the lab, we have cholera isolates in the lab.”

“There is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the central public health lab in Khartoum by one of the fighting parties,” he added.

He declined to specify which side had seized the facility, however, CNN cited a source that said the lab had been taken over by RSF forces. A medical source told CNN that “a rapid international intervention” was required to prevent armed confrontations around the lab that could turn it into a “germ bomb.”

The WHO said in a statement to CNN that “trained laboratory technicians no longer have access to the laboratory” and that the facility had suffered power cuts, meaning “it is not possible to properly manage the biological materials that are stored in the laboratory for medical purposes.”

The power cuts also mean there is a risk of spoilage of depleting stocks of blood bags, according to the director-general of the laboratory. The medical source told CNN that “the danger lies in the outbreak of any armed confrontation in the laboratory because that will turn the laboratory into a germ bomb.”...https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/26/f...��

[Emily]

A medical source told CNN that “a rapid international intervention” was required to prevent armed confrontations around the lab that could turn it into a “germ bomb.”

I think that desire is what's behind all the hand wringing. This is not a high containment lab, so I don't think they have stockpiles of deadly pathogens. They do handle a lot of Sudan's biological samples sent for diagnostic work. There is already blood, potentially contaminated with disease, flowing all over a war zone like this. It's flowing out of torn up human bodies that the WHO does not recognize as a public health disaster. But they hyperventilate about fridges full of test tubes and petri dishes.

Sending in foreign military to get infected with what would have been at worst a localized health epidemic so they can then spread those pathogens around the world is unwise. Remember the World Military Games held in Wuhan when Sars2 was brewing there?

The group that took over the lab is not a rag-tag group of rebels. These are two generals fighting with each other. The NIH may be doing some research at that lab - another good reason to stay away, or quarantine anyone foolish enough to intervene at Plum Island should they survive.

https://sonar21.com/an-update-on-sudan-and-a-chat-with-emerald-robinson/

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Media Center

An appeal from the regional director of the organization after the occupation of health facilities in Sudan

27 April 2023 - While we welcome news of the ceasefire in Sudan, the attack on health infrastructure there has escalated as parties to the conflict occupy hospitals in Khartoum and the National Center for Central Public Health Laboratories in Sudan.

The impact of the cases of occupation and violation of these vital health facilities was evident in the inability of patients to obtain basic health care and in the immediate cessation of testing critical laboratory samples.

This laboratory is known to contain pathogens such as measles, cholera, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, vaccine-derived poliovirus, and other hazardous materials. The World Health Organization is concerned about the potential for untrained individuals to mishandle these infectious samples, infecting themselves and then spreading the infection to others.

However, the greatest threats to health in Sudan remain the ongoing violence, the non-functioning of many hospitals and clinics, limited access to clean water, food shortages, and the forced displacement of the population.

Health is a human right.

Here, I make an urgent appeal to all parties to the conflict in Sudan to withdraw from all health facilities immediately, and not to impede the work of vital public health facilities in Sudan. The provision of health care must also be ensured, including critical laboratory work.

Furthermore, I call on all parties in Sudan to protect health workers and health infrastructure, and to commit to protecting health care services and the functioning of public health facilities in all situations of conflict.

https://www.emro.who.int/ar/media/news/who-regional-directors-appeal-following-occupation-of-sudans-health-facilities.html

[Treyfish]

This laboratory is known to contain pathogens such as measles, cholera, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, vaccine-derived poliovirus, and other hazardous materials. The World Health Organization is concerned about the potential for untrained individuals to mishandle these infectious samples, infecting themselves and then spreading the infection to others.

[Emily]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/sudan-lab-takeover-by-fighters-does-not-dramatically-change-the-existing-health-threat-posture-us-official/ar-AA1aosrk

Sudan lab takeover by fighters does not 'dramatically change the existing health threat posture': US official

Story by Liz Friden, Paul Best • Yesterday 5:30 PM
A U.S. official said on Wednesday that the takeover of a national health lab by Sudanese fighters does not "dramatically change the existing health threat posture," pushing back against a warning from the World Health Organization that the seizure poses "a huge biological risk."

Fighting broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The two leaders partnered up to orchestrate a military coup of Sudan's Western-backed administration in 2021, but have since turned against each other during negotiations over how to incorporate the RSF into the country's armed forces.
...

A U.S. official familiar with the matter said on Wednesday that it is "clearly" not a good situation, but downplayed the WHO's assessment.

"The National Public Health Laboratory in question is the Sudanese’s reference lab for its health system. This means the pathogens stored there are already in the population (e.g., TB, COVID, Cholera). Therefore, medical and intelligence experts assess at this time the current situation does not dramatically change the existing health threat posture," the official said.

"There is also at this time no assessed tie between the looters and terrorist organizations; nevertheless, we continue to track the situation with allies and partners."...

[Treyfish]

WHO warns of health crisis in Sudan despite ceasefire

• 28-04- 2023 10:42 AM

AMMAN: World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Ahmed Mandhari, Thursday urged the warring parties in Sudan to evacuate health facilities immediately, warning of a health crisis.

....
He warned, “The impact of these occupations and the violation of these vital health facilities are being felt by the lack of access by patients to essential health care and in the instant halt to the testing of critically important laboratory samples.”

He added, “WHO is concerned that untrained individuals could mishandle such infectious specimens, thereby infecting themselves and others”. - Bernama
https://www.thesundaily.my/world/who...��

[Mary Wilson]

04/25/23 5:15 PM ET
BY BRAD DRESS

The representative for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Sudan said fighters have seized a national health facility, calling the lab takeover “extremely, extremely dangerous” for the embattled country.

WHO representative Nima Saeed Abid said during a Tuesday press briefingthat one of the warring armies in Sudan forcefully kicked out the lab technicians at the National Public Health Laboratory in the capitol of Khartoum, creating a risk of biological contamination.
“Now it is completely under the control of one of the fighting parties as a military base,” Abid said, describing it as a facility housing polio, cholera and measles samples.

“There is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the [health lab] by one of the fighting parties,” he added.

...Abid did not say which side seized the lab.

Sudan is experiencing a large outbreak of dengue fever and malaria, Abid noted, which makes the military occupation of the health lab all the more dangerous. ...

https://thehill.com/homenews/3971150-lab-seizure-amid-sudan-fighting-poses-huge-biological-risk/

[Emily]

https://www.voanews.com/a/who-assessing-risk-after-fighters-seize-sudan-lab-/7067280.html

WHO Assessing Risk After Fighters Seize Sudan Lab
April 26, 2023 1:27 PM
Agence France-Presse
...
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said the main risk was likely to any untrained people in the lab, who could "accidentally expose themselves to the pathogen."

"But there are always obviously secondary risks that someone might leave that laboratory and infect someone else," he acknowledged.

"We want to make sure that the people occupying the building know the risks themselves," he said.

He underlined though that "doing any kind of assessment at the moment ... is very difficult," pointing out that internet and telephone lines are down and "communications are extremely difficult."

Peace 'best medicine'

He stressed that the main threat to people in Sudan was due to the fighting.
...

Tedros agreed, pointing out that the fighting had shuttered 61 percent of all health facilities in Khartoum, with only 16 percent operating as normal.

He pointed out that patients with chronic diseases were unable to access treatments, while some 24,000 women due to give birth in coming weeks "are currently unable to access maternal care."

"On top of the number of deaths and injuries caused by the conflict itself, WHO expects there will be many more deaths due to outbreaks, lack of access to food and water, and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization," he said.

"As always, the best medicine in this situation is peace."

[sharon sanders]

MSF International
@MSF
A hospital we support in West Darfur, Sudan, has been looted. The widespread violence being reported in El Geneina is alarming. Our deputy operations manager for Sudan, Sylvain Perron, tells you more
2:27 AM · Apr 29, 2023
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MSF International
@MSF
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“It is utterly unacceptable to see the El Geneina Teaching Hospital and other facilities under attack. We are deeply concerned about the safety of healthcare staff, and our teams in West Darfur. Many people are trapped in the midst of this deadly violence.”
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MSF International
@MSF
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“The current fighting has forced us to stop almost all our activities in West Darfur. Our teams have not been able to reach the hospital. We are incredibly worried about the impact of this violence on people who have lived through waves of violence in previous years.”
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“We demand that all health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, warehouses, and ambulances, and their staff are respected and protected. We reiterate our calls to all parties to the conflict to avoid civilian areas and to spare civilian lives.”
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[Treyfish]

‘Moderate’ Risk After Lab Containing Diseases Seized by Fighters in Sudan: WHO

By Lorenz Duchamps
May 2, 2023

A World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday that a second risk assessment found that there was a “moderate risk” related to the seizure of a public health laboratory in the Sudanese capital by one of the warring parties.

“The situation and the risk are being seen as moderate,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters at a United Nations briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.

“This is because the lab cannot provide its main function, that is to provide the analysis and the diagnostics because of the lack of fuel and lack of trained staff,” he added.

Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO’s representative in Sudan, said last week that there was a “huge biological risk” in Khartoum after one of the fighting groups took control of a laboratory containing samples of deadly diseases.... https://www.ntd.com/moderate-risk-af...ho_916862.html
...

[Treyfish]

Security Alert – Updated Information for U.S. Citizens in Sudan – May 2, 2023 at 8:30 p.m.
Location: Sudan, Countrywide

Event: On April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations (to include visa, passport, and other routine consular services) until further notice. Consular services are available in neighboring countries for those who choose to depart. The U.S. government will continue to provide information for U.S. citizens in Sudan, including exit options. The U.S. government will continue to provide advice and information for U.S. citizens in Sudan, including exit options.

To receive updates and further information, U.S. citizens in Sudan should submit the following crisis intake form. Family members can also submit information on behalf of a U.S. citizen family member. Information can also be accessed by calling 1-888-407-4747 (in the United States) or +1 202-501-4444 (from overseas).

Port Sudan: The U.S. government has completed all currently planned convoys to Port Sudan. For individuals who travel to Port Sudan independently, there may be seats available to onward locations. Consular officers stand ready to assist U.S. citizens on arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Wadi Seidna: At this time, we are not aware of any additional evacuation flights from Wadi Seidna Airfield. The Department of State recommends U.S. citizens avoid the Wadi Seidna Airfield due to the threat of increased violence at and near the airfield.

Land Border Crossing: We understand that border crossings into neighboring countries may be possible. If you are able to travel to a border crossing and believe it is safe to do so, please be aware that wait times and conditions at crossing points vary widely and could change quickly. Immigration information and contact details for U.S. embassies are below.

Central African Republic: No visa is required for U.S. citizens. Review the Central African Republic Traveler Information page. U.S. Embassy Bangui does not provide consular services at this time. Please contact U.S. Embassy in Yaounde with questions concerning entry requirements at +(237) 22220-1500 ext. 4341/4023 or email YaoundeACS@state.gov.

Chad: A visa is required for U.S. citizens in advance of arrival. Review the Chad Traveler Information page. Contact the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad at +235 22 51 50 17 or email NdjamenaACS@state.gov with questions concerning entry requirements.

Egypt: U.S. citizens are eligible for visa on arrival at the port of entry. This costs $25. For most U.S. citizens, there is no visa requirement ahead of arriving at the land border. Please bring a valid U.S. passport and payment for the visa. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt at +20-2797-3300 or email ConsularCairoACS@state.gov with questions concerning entry requirements. If traveling to Egypt, apply online ahead of time for an Egypt e-visa.

Eritrea: A visa is required for U.S. citizens in advance of arrival. Review the Eritrea Traveler Information page. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea at +(291) 1-120-004 or email ConsularAsmara@state.gov with questions concerning entry requirements.

Ethiopia: A visa is required for U.S. citizens (www.evisa.gov.et ). Review the Ethiopia Traveler Information page . Contact the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at +251-11-130-6000, or email AddisACS@state.gov with questions concerning entry requirements.

South Sudan: A visa is required for U.S. citizens in advance of arrival. Review the South Sudan Traveler Information page. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan at +(211) 912-105-188 or email ACSJuba@state.gov with questions concerning entry requirements.

Actions to take:

• Monitor local media for updates.
• Review Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Sudan and the most recent Security Alerts.

Assistance:

• To receive updates and further information, U.S. citizens in Sudan should submit the following crisis intake form. Family members can also submit information on behalf of a U.S. citizen family member. Information can also be accessed by calling 1-888-407-4747 (in the United States) or +1 202-501-4444 (from overseas).
• Sudan Country Information
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

By U.S. Embassy in Khartoum | 2 May, 2023 | Topics: Alert
https://sd.usembassy.gov/security-al...23-at-830-p-m/

[Pathfinder]

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 11 May 2023

11 May 2023
...
First to Sudan,

Ongoing fighting in Khartoum and across Sudan continues to cost lives and cripple the country economically and socially.

As well as facing shelling and insecurity, people are dealing with dwindling supplies of water, food, medicines and electricity.

70% of health facilities in areas affected by fighting are out of service, and WHO has verified 30 attacks on health.

Outbreaks of malaria, dengue and measles have been reported, and millions of children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are estimated to be acutely malnourished.

I thank the governments of Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan for welcoming refugees from Sudan; WHO is supporting these countries to provide health services to people who have had to leave their homes.

We have managed to deliver a significant quantity of supplies to Port Sudan, but unless these supplies can be distributed to health facilities, they are of no use.

Establishing safe routes for humanitarian aid is critical. But the ultimate solution is peace.

===

https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---11-may-2023

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Communications interruption and disease spread with the continuation of the war in Sudan

Wad Madani (Sudan) (AFP) - Communications were cut off for several hours on Friday in the Sudanese capital, while battles were raging between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in several areas in Khartoum, with humanitarian organizations warning of an exacerbation of the crisis.

Posted in:07/14/2023 - 17:52
Last updated:07/14/2023 - 17:50

Witnesses told AFP that internet and mobile phone connections, which are necessary to obtain information and supplies since the war began nearly three months ago, were out of service as "violent clashes" took place in many neighborhoods.

The reasons for the outage were not immediately clear. Witnesses reported that some mobile phone networks resumed working at around 9:00 GMT, i.e. 11:00 local time.

Throughout the morning hours, columns of thick black smoke were seen rising from the area where the Army General Command headquarters is located in central Khartoum, as well as in the south.

Witnesses confirmed in Khartoum North, northeast of the capital, that "confrontations with all weapons" took place. Residents of Omdurman (north) said that warplanes and drones flew over this northern suburb of Khartoum.

Since April 15, the war continues between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

According to the United Nations, more than 1.7 million Sudanese have been forced to leave Khartoum because of the war, while millions of others have stayed inside their homes, fearing stray bullets from the fighting.

Residents have resorted to the Internet to meet their basic needs through collective initiatives that allow them to find safe ways to evacuate the injured or to obtain food and medicine.

"Life or death"

The war led to the displacement of 2.4 million Sudanese from their homes to safer areas inside Sudan, where supplies became scarce even in safe places, noting that between "two-thirds to 80% of hospitals are not working," according to what the official of the World Health Organization said Friday. Rick Brennan.

Brennan, Director of Relief Operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Region at the World Health Organization, confirmed that the health system in Sudan "was already suffering from major deficiencies" and in the current crisis "is facing enormous challenges, which makes it a matter of life or death for the people of Sudan."

In Kosti, the last city on the road from Khartoum to South Sudan, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned Friday that heavy rains caused torrential rains, which led to "many families needing aid, including 260,000 people who fled from Khartoum" to this city.

Humanitarian relief organizations have repeatedly called for safe passages to transport aid and workers, and have previously warned that the rainy season, which began in June, could cause the spread of diseases.

During Thursday's meeting, workers in relief and health organizations announced the emergence of measles cases in 11 of Sudan's 18 states, in addition to "300 people infected with cholera or severe diarrhea, and eight of them died," according to a statement issued Friday by the Islamic Relief Organization.

The World Health Organization said Friday that "it is difficult to confirm reports of an outbreak of cholera, given that public health laboratories are not working."

- Regional influence -

Sudan's neighboring countries, to which 740,000 have fled, according to the United Nations, fear an expansion of the conflict.

The official of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Pierre Dorbes, said Friday that in the state of South Sudan, the closure of the borders led to "the emptying of many supermarkets" and to the deterioration of the already fragile humanitarian situation.

He added that since the beginning of the war, "160,000 people have arrived in South Sudan, including refugees and citizens returning from Sudan, where they were staying."

The battles in Khartoum and the Darfur region in western Sudan, where new atrocities took place, resulted in the death of about three thousand people, according to the ACLEAD organization, which specializes in collecting information in conflict areas. It also led to the displacement and asylum of about three million people, according to the United Nations.

On Thursday, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced the opening of a new investigation into war crimes in the Sudanese region of Darfur, calling for not allowing "history to repeat itself."

Karim Khan's announcement came in a report to the UN Security Council.

Darfur, where the civil war claimed about 300,000 people in the early 2000s, was not spared from the atrocities. The United Nations said Thursday that the bodies of at least 87 people believed to have been killed last month by the Rapid Support Forces and their allies were buried in a mass grave in Darfur.

https://www.france24.com/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9/20230714-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

CORPSES AND EPIDEMICS, WHAT REMAINS FROM THE CLASHES IN SUDAN

Health and nutrition
3 minutes
August 8, 2023

The clashes in Sudan are devastating an entire population. Since the conflict erupted in April, at least 2,435 children have been killed or injured.

With the clashes that have intensified in the streets of the city of Khartoum in recent weeks, thousands of corpses have been abandoned and are in a state of decomposition. Furthermore, morgues would collapse due to power outages and insufficient capacity to store bodies, thus putting families and children at an increasing risk of epidemics and diseases .

CLASHES IN SUDAN: ABANDONED CORPSES AND RISK OF EPIDEMICS

A horrific combination of rising body counts, severe water shortages, poor sanitation and lack of water treatment facilities is raising fears of a cholera outbreak in Khartoum .

The war-torn capital of Sudan has suffered intermittent power blackouts and disrupted communications. The direct consequence of this prolonged lack of electricity is that the morgues of the city were left without refrigeration for a long time, thus leading to the decomposition of bodies due to the heat . This situation exposes the population of the city to the risk of serious epidemics.

SUDAN: THE DEVASTATION AFTER THE CLASHES

We continue to receive devastating news from Sudan after more than 100 days of fighting: 132 children have been killed or injured in North Kordofan since the war broke out .

On 18 July a child was killed by shelling and on 11 July several homeless children were injured by stray bullets during clashes in a market in the Omdurman area of Khartoum. On June 25 and 27, two minors were killed and two others injured in artillery shelling across the city, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

It is crucial for the survival of children and families to see an end to this fighting – the only way to protect children from violence and other violations of their rights.

THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN SUDAN HANGING BY A THREAD

Of the 89 major hospitals in the capital and regions of the country, 71 are out of order , while the rest are partially functioning. Some health facilities have been occupied by armed groups, taking away life-saving treatment from millions of minors and their families. There have been at least 53 attacks on health care facilities , resulting in 11 deaths since April.

“The impossibility of giving a proper burial to the dead is a further element of suffering for the families of Khartoum. We are witnessing an ongoing health crisis , as well as despondency, fear and pain. Where hospitals are still open, they are overburdened, overstaffed and running out of supplies,” said Dr Bashir Kamal Eldin Hamid , director of health and nutrition at Save the Children.

We call on the warring parties to agree to an immediate cessation of fighting in Sudan and to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Every boy or girl, no matter where they live, deserves to live a safe, happy and healthy life free from violence.

...

https://www.savethechildren.it/blog-notizie/cadaveri-ed-epidemie-cio-che-resta-dagli-scontri-in-sudan