Wednesday 15 / January / 2025
Khartoum: The World Health Organization (WHO) said Khartoum residents were at risk due to one of the fighting factions in Sudan capturing a laboratory which is holding various pathogens. The UN body did not say which of the two sides involved in the current conflict was occupying the facility. The lab is storing cholera bacteria and other potentially dangerous items.
Technicians had been unable to access the National Public Health Laboratory to secure the materials, the WHO's Nima Saeed Abid told reporters in Geneva via video link from Sudan.
"This is the main concern: no accessibility to the lab technicians to go to the lab and safely contain the biological material and substances available," he said, speaking of a "huge biological risk."
Fighting in Sudan between armed forces loyal to de facto leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries supporting his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out on April 15.
At least 459 people have been killed, according to WHO figures, and hospitals and essential services have been paralysed.
The intense fighting has forced the UN's humanitarian office (OCHA) to scale back some of its activities in parts of the country, and two other UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Program, have suspended work after some of their staff were killed.
Sudan truce holds overnight despite sporadic gunfire in Khartoum
Following the announcement of the US-brokered cease-fire agreement late on Monday, the night passed without much incident.
There were, however, reports of sporadic gunfire in the capital, Khartoum.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of breaking the terms of the cease-fire by flying its aircraft over the city, AFP reported.
The regular army has carried out numerous airstrikes over the past 10 days.
According to the UN, at least 3,700 have been wounded since fighting broke out between the RSF and the military.
UK announces evacuation of citizens
The British government on Tuesday announced it will be initiating the evacuation of its citizens from Sudan. This comes after Sudan's opposing factions agreed on a temporary cease-fire lasting for 72 hours.
"The government has begun a large-scale evacuation of British passport holders from Sudan on RAF flights," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Twitter.
According to the British government, military flights will be departing from an airfield located outside of Khartoum. These flights will be available only to individuals with British passports, with priority given to family groups accompanied by children, senior citizens and individuals with medical conditions.
On Sunday, Britain airlifted diplomats out of Sudan, but the move has sparked criticism that ordinary UK citizens had been left behind.
