Influx of war-wounded patients from Southern Sudan

Renewed fighting in various parts of southern Sudan has caused a heavy influx of wounded into ICRC’s surgical hospital in Lokichoggio, northern Kenya, reports ICRC. By 2 May the hospital had 646 patients in wards with a normal capacity of 560 patients. “This is the largest number of people we have ever had to care for in Lokichoggio”, said Pierre Gratzl, the organisation’s health and relief coordinator for Sudan. He said the hospital’s two surgical teams were performing some 20 operations a day, and had carried out a total of 381 in April alone. 312 new patients were admitted in April.

Operation Lifeline Sudan reports inter clan fighting, cattle raiding and aerial bombing in Eastern Upper Nile during April, and says flight access restrictions and insecurity have continued in several areas of southern Sudan during the month. In an April assessment report, OLS says ground and aerial bombardment during 1999 and 2000 has destroyed homes, crops and livestock in Western Upper Nile. Populations have been forced to flee. Mankien, Western Upper Nile, has received large numbers of IDPs in April as a result of ground fighting in nearby areas, reports OLS. Trade has been greatly reduced by insecurity, including bombardment of Mankien, which has disrupted agricultural activities.