Official figures: 262 Covid-19 deaths in Sudan to date

Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health reported 279 new coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and 29 deaths on Sunday which brings the official total number in the country to 4,800 cases, including 262 deaths and 1,272 recovered cases.

In Khartoum 179 new cases were recorded, in El Gezira 34, in El Gedaref 12, in North Darfur nine, Kassala three, and one case each in West Darfur, South Darfur, West Kordofan and Central Darfur.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported 175 new Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. In a statement on Friday, the ministry of health confirmed that 67 people have recovered.

Darfur campaign

The Sawa Sawa (Together) initiative to confront the global pandemic continued its awareness-raising campaigns throughout Darfur. The initiative confirmed that they observed a severe shortage of health services in the camps for displaced people in Darfur.

Ayoub Salah, a member of the Sawa Sawa initiative, told Radio Dabanga that the initiative has covered 78 out of 154 camps for the displaced in Darfur. He said that their activities include awareness-raising campaigns among displaced people, the training of health workers in the camps, and the organisation of isolation wards.

"We plan to use schools as isolation wards," he said.

The Sawa Sawa initiative depends solely on the community’s efforts and the benevolent. “We have not received any aid yet from the authorities,” Ayoub stated.

They have faced great difficulties because of the limited capacity they work with, he added. They have not been not able to deliver some medical equipment they received from donors abroad because of the difficulty to obtain movement permits from the authorities.

The health situation in the camps has deteriorated due to the acute shortage in health services and lack of awareness about the pandemic. Most of the camps are located far away from towns and overcrowded, specially in markets and prayers places. In addition, there are not enough health centres in the camps.

Ayoub appealed to the High Committee for Health Emergencies to assist them in terms of movement permits so that they can deliver medical equipment to the camps.

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