Sudanese civil war escalates risk of a biological crisis - World Health Organisation warns

Geneva/Khartoum – A biological laboratory in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, has been occupied by a group that leapt into the conflict. Research was ongoing on measles, cholera, polio and other infectious viruses in this laboratory. Hence, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the threat of a biological crisis has increased in Sudan as the armed forces have occupied the laboratory. The US analysts draw attention to the fact that while the issue of biological laboratories in Ukraine rages in the US Senate, the Sudan civil war also brings to light the potential threat from biological laboratories.

Evacuation of foreign nationals has accelerated after Sudan imposed a 72-hour ceasefire. Though the Sudanese army has announced a truce, there were reports of firing in other areas, including the capital Khartoum. Therefore, the Western media criticises that this ceasefire has almost failed and points out that the conflict in Sudan can flare up at any moment.

In such a situation, while talking to the media through a video link, Nima Saeed Abid, a senior official of the WHO, drew attention to a serious incident. Nima said the attacking group occupied Khartoum’s capital’s National Public Health Laboratory. The attackers have also barred officials or observers of the WHO from entering the laboratory. She said that these attackers had captured the laboratory.

As per the WHO, research on measles, cholera, polio and other infectious viruses has been ongoing in this laboratory. The health organisation drew attention to the fact that if attackers take control of the laboratories, the viruses here could be misused or cause a major disaster. Thus, it has warned that the risk of biological crisis has increased. But the health organisation declined to give details of which group in Sudan took control of the laboratory.

The civil war that has flared up between the army and paramilitary forces in Sudan for the past 12 days has killed 459 people and injured 4,072. Moreover, it has killed foreign employees of international organisations along with Sudanese citizens. Seven UN-affiliated staff have been killed in the first 48 hours since the conflict erupted in Sudan. Simultaneously, groups such as World Food Programme (WFP) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have stopped their services in Sudan. Due to this conflict, the UN Human Rights Organisation expressed concern that its aid was not reaching the needy people in Sudan.

Millions of Sudanese displaced by the conflict seek refuge in neighbouring African countries, while citizens stuck in Sudan have worsened. The Sudanese government has ordered citizens not to leave the building they have resided in due to the continued shelling despite the ceasefire. There has been a water shortage, due to which Sudanese people had to drink water from the Nile River in some places.

Meanwhile, military analysts had warned a few days ago that if the conflict in Sudan were not stopped in time, its repercussions would not be limited to Sudan or Africa. Analysts’ warning has become more serious as the armed forces seize control of laboratories in Sudan.

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