After civil war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, chaos and confusion erupted in many population centers across the fractured nation. One hotspot was Al Jazirah State. Citizens there witnessed incredibly brutal, traumatizing warfare, involving civilian casualties, gang rape, torture, looting, and destruction of infrastructure. However, earlier this year the Sudanese Army took control of most of the region and fighting ceased.
In response, many people who had fled in terror have now returned to their homeland. As a result, Al Jazirah has become one of the world’s most challenging work environments to practice Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS). The critical needs of the country’s children, teens, adults, and elderly are intense and endless. However, so is the work ethic and heart for the Sudanese people that motivate Asma Abdelrahim, a psychologist with Medical Teams International.
Personal Pain becomes Professional Passion
Like millions of others in and around Sudan, Asma, 35, has been on a displacement journey for over a year, interrupting her entire way of life, including her fruitful, 10-year career. She, her husband, and five kids ages 2 to 12 escaped to Egypt for half of that time for their safety. It was an illegal process with no visas, and very expensive, but circumstances in Al Jazirah were dire. During this period, she returned only once but left again due to violence affecting her children. Her parents stayed behind and locked themselves in their house for an entire year.
Asma and her family followed the news closely, hoping for a ceasefire. When she and her family felt that conditions were safe enough, they came back and discovered utter devastation. People had been traumatized on a massive scale – both those who had stayed and returnees. Hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure had been decimated, and medical professionals were scarce.
Asma felt a stirring in her soul to use her professional knowledge and skills in some way – she felt she had to do something. She began volunteering her services at Om Sont Clinic, a facility that was a shell of its former self. “It was not well,” she states, “and quite empty.”
In the spring, Medical Teams brought its compassionate, life-saving health services to Al Jazirah and began rehabilitating Om Sont Clinic. Through a partnership with the International Organization for Migration and the Al Jazirah Ministry of Health, Medical Teams offers primary healthcare, maternal and child health care (including immunization services, medicines, and medical supplies), nutrition services, and integrated MHPSS. Through mobile medical teams and at health and nutrition centers, Medical Teams has been serving the people of Sudan since 2021.
The Road to Recovery
Having dramatically expanded its work across Sudan since the war began, Medical Teams and its team of local volunteers are well-equipped to bring healing and hope to thousands yearning for a sense of normalcy. According to Asma, the changes at Om Sont Clinic have been extraordinary. She had been volunteering with very limited resources but is now a seconded staff member with Medical Teams, which has greatly enhanced her impact in the community.
“Asma goes above and beyond the responsibilities of her position,” says Mohammed Elkhatem, Medical Teams Senior MHPSS Officer in Sudan. “She gives her full attention and focused interest to each person or family she encounters. In addition to her 8-hour workday, she regularly makes home visits in the evening.”
With a warm smile and a tender-hearted approach, Asma conducts mental health sessions in Al Jazirah’s reopened schools and provides care at the primary health center. She also facilitates community awareness and social support activities.
“I help children, teenagers, adults, and families living with conditions like PTSD and depression,” she states. “Before, no one would come and see me because of the shame. Now, they know what I do, and they come to me seeking help. If they don’t come, I go to them in their homes.”
For severe cases, Medical Teams refers people to a contracted psychiatrist who visits the clinic once a week, through whom they can receive necessary medications provided by the World Health Organization. The community has had 5 suicide attempt cases in recent months.
Reclaiming Health and Homeland
Asma says that the new support, knowledge, and supervision she has received from Medical Teams has enabled her to perform in an exceptional way. Even so, the amount of need around her is overwhelming.
“To reclaim and improve our country, we must improve the health of each person,” says Asma. “We must continue to reduce the stigma. Mental health conditions are illnesses like any other. We must work on normalization and try to restore hope.”
“I wish I could do more,” she adds. “So many bad things happened here. The worst imaginable. The people of Sudan don’t deserve this. They’re good, kind people. Please help us.”
This month, we have been inviting you to Rise to the Moment to meet the incredible need in war-torn places like Sudan where we serve. Dedicated professionals like Asma are working around the clock to bring relief and healing amid unthinkable destruction, but due to dwindling resources and logistical challenges, they are faced with inevitable burnout, logistical impossibilities, and the heartbreak of facing dying patients without the ability to treat them.
Lives are on the line. You can make a difference for people in crisis AND our healthcare staff who show up day after day, in the toughest conditions, to love them and care for them.