Root cause of conflict in Darfur are political and social inequalities, political interference and instrumentalization, the lack of development with different armed groups fighting over power, land tenure and access to pastures and water. Violent attacks by increasingly fragmented armed groups or intercommunal clashes, have surged to new alarming levels. In the Jebel Marra region in Central and South Darfur, communities have been cut off from medical care and other services for years. The area is under the control of a rebel group that has not signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government.

MSF teams respond to the different acute health needs and help save lives in a place that has long been neglected and where access to healthcare is still very limited. In 2020, our team started providing medical services in the mountainous region of Jebel Marra. In Rokero, which is a government-controlled locality, we provide medical services at a state-run health centre (called a ‘rural hospital’). We manage the inpatient department (IPD), the emergency room (ER), the maternity and delivery wards and the observation room. In June 2022, we started an emergency nutrition intervention, running mobile clinics in remote villages to screen, treat, and refer malnourished children to Rokero hospital. An MSF team is also based in Umo, a locality controlled by a non-state armed group. Until we opened our healthcare facility, the area was cut off from outside assistance for more than ten years. The only means of transport in and out of Umo and many villages is by donkey or camel. There are no roads, and no access for cars or buses. It is a four-hour ride from Rokero to Umo.