Medicine, Health Supplies, and Nutrition Commodities Running Dangerously Low 

(Portland, OR) July 7, 2023— Numerous lives in Sudan are at risk due to violence and instability within the country. The current conflict has severely damaged Sudan’s fragile health system and infrastructure, impacting people of all ages, from newborns and children to pregnant women and the elderly. Medical Teams International, a global health and humanitarian relief organization, is issuing an urgent plea to public and private corporations, foundations, and individuals to donate any amount to our relief efforts in Sudan:  https://www.medicalteams.org/country/sudan/  

This past April, millions of people in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum, were shocked by the violence that suddenly unfolded in their streets. Fighting between two warring military forces has caused unimaginable destruction. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 70% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas have been forced to close or have been bombed in areas of intense fighting. Clinics have run out of basic supplies, like gauze and blood for transfusions. There is little access to care or critical medicine for pregnant women or people with chronic health conditions. Prices for food and basic supplies are high, and fuel is scarce.   

Medical Teams has worked in Sudan since 2021 in response to the conflict in northern Ethiopia, serving more than 202,000 Ethiopian refugees and local Sudanese in two settlements. In Sudan, Medical Teams has been providing care through mobile health and nutrition teams and at fixed facilities, delivering primary health care (including immunizations, non-communicable disease management, and disease surveillance), mental health and psycho-social services, sexual and reproductive health services, malnutrition screening and treatment, and referrals.   

Our mobile medical teams treat over 140 people a day with compassion and warmth, providing the basic care they need. On average, we help over 11 mothers each day who have been unable to access pre- or post-natal care, and daily assist 1-2 deliveries with a skilled birth attendant at a health facility.   

Medical Teams is also prioritizing emergency nutrition for children who are malnourished, as malnutrition rates continue to rise. More people arrive in refugee camps every day, and we’re rising to meet the growing need. We’re also supporting hospitals and clinics with desperately needed supplies and emergency nutrition, but those supplies are dwindling, and more resources are needed. 

“Our top priority is to provide loving and life-saving care to people in Sudan, including the 200,000+ Ethiopian refugees and Sudanese people we’ve been serving since 2021,” said Martha Newsome, President & CEO of Medical Teams. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that lives depend on this daily outreach. We are urging people to open their hearts and give generously.”   

For more information or to donate, visit https://www.medicalteams.org/country/sudan/  

 About Medical Teams International 

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.  

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