Sudanese Doctor: I Escaped from El Fasher and Now Care for the Displaced
Sudan Events – Agencies
A report published by Newsweek has highlighted the experience of Sudanese-American physician Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed, who was forced to flee the city of El Fasher in Darfur after his family and hometown were subjected to intense military bombardment by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), rendering the provision of healthcare nearly impossible.
Mohamed Ibrahim said he did not leave his post at the Saudi Hospital even after his family had fled, remaining committed to his profession despite the dangers. “I couldn’t abandon my patients—my people—without care. This city was not just my workplace; it had been my home for 28 years,” he said.
He explained that conditions at the hospital deteriorated dramatically by last July due to repeated RSF attacks. The hospital lost 70% of its medical staff, leaving only 11 doctors to serve 260,000 people, half of them children.
The doctor described the near-impossible task of providing medical care amid war, adding, “We worked tirelessly for long, continuous hours, and our supplies were nearly depleted. We reserved protective gear like gloves for surgery only, and used simple tissues to dress ordinary wounds.”
A Deadly Escape
The article recounts how El Fasher fell to RSF forces in October, plunging the city into fear as people ran “in all directions” searching for shelter or a safe haven—without success.
On his way out of the city, the doctor saw people running back in terror after realizing RSF fighters were shooting at anyone attempting to flee.
Mohamed was forced to escape with a small group of around 200 people, a journey during which he witnessed many dying before his eyes. Few who set out with him survived.
It took the group six hours to cover just one kilometer under the cover of darkness to reach the city’s outskirts. They advanced in complete silence, sometimes crawling on their stomachs to avoid detection, before eventually dispersing into different routes at dawn.
The Work Continues
Despite these precautions, the author fell into the hands of RSF fighters along the road and endured two harrowing days in captivity until his family managed to pay a ransom for his release.
After reaching safety in the city of Tawila, the doctor felt some relief upon seeing colleagues from the Sudanese American Physicians Association. He immediately joined the association’s mobile clinics to provide care for newly displaced people suffering from hunger, disease, and injuries.
Mohamed concluded that the war “took his hospital and his city, but it did not take his ambition or his purpose.”
Source: Al Jazeera Net
