My name is Mujahid Ahmed, and I hail from Sudan. My journey with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) began in 2017 when I worked as a personnel administration manager in Khartoum. Little did I know that this role would lead me through some of my life's most challenging and transformative experiences.
It was a typical Saturday in mid-April 2023 when the unthinkable happened—war broke out in Khartoum. I was at the office when the first shots were fired, and chaos ensued. People ran in every direction, driven by fear and confusion. Along with my colleagues from Sudan and various nationalities, I was hibernating in the office – it was not safe to go outside. For an entire week, we stayed in hibernation.
Eventually, I managed to escape Khartoum, though the journey was fraught with peril. My colleagues were scattered across the city and beyond, and I lost contact with many friends and neighbours. MSF quickly re-established medical programmes in Wad Madani, Al-Jazeera State, where those who could flee from Khartoum congregated. People were forced to seek refuge in schools, with relatives, or even on the streets in makeshift tents.
We continued our work in Wad Madani for about six months before the conflict erupted there as well. I narrowly escaped, but many of my colleagues were trapped and dispersed throughout the region. The influx of people fleeing Khartoum had overwhelmed the town. Meanwhile, my family had taken refuge in the relatively calm White Nile State. As the situation in Wad Madani deteriorated, some of us were recalled to Khartoum, which had become somewhat stable in comparison.
One year has passed, but the scars of war remain fresh. Sudan is a nation crippled by a humanitarian crisis: empty pockets, silent generators, and dry taps. Hospitals are barely functioning, and those that are open lack basic supplies. The suffering is immense, the casualties too numerous.
Humanitarian organisations like MSF must urgently be granted safe access to deliver essential medical supplies. We are currently working in 11 states across the country, but we face constant challenges to move people and supplies, and for our staff and patients to be safe in medical facilities, that should be respected.
One year has passed, but the scars of war remain fresh. Sudan is a nation crippled by a humanitarian crisis: empty pockets, silent generators, and dry taps. Hospitals are barely functioning, and those that are open lack basic supplies. The suffering is immense, the casualties too numerous.
Humanitarian organisations like MSF must urgently be granted safe access to deliver essential medical supplies. We are currently working in 11 states across the country, but we face constant challenges to move people and supplies, and for our staff and patients to be safe in medical facilities, that should be respected.
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