A dialysis centre in Sudan’s Blue Nile State has suspended operations after a drone attack on a power facility disrupted electricity supplies, leaving patients with kidney failure without access to life-sustaining treatment.
The attack on a power generation station on Tuesday evening disrupted electricity supplies to Damazin, the state capital, the nearby city of Roseires and several other areas, forcing the centre to halt operations.
The attack has been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting the army since April 2023.
The closure has raised concerns about the health of patients who depend on regular dialysis sessions and have few alternatives for accessing treatment elsewhere.
Activists reported that one patient with kidney failure died around the time the centre suspended operations.
Abdul-Rahim Hussein, a patient at the centre, described the difficulties facing those who rely on the facility for treatment.
“We are asking for nothing except from God,” he said, adding that he had gone three days without a dialysis session.
Patients face significant challenges in seeking treatment elsewhere, including fuel shortages, limited transport options and the high cost of travelling to other areas where dialysis services may be available.
Abdul-Rahman Al-Tayyib, who accompanies one of the patients, appealed to charitable organisations and individuals to help provide alternative sources of electricity to keep the centre operational.
“We hope that charitable people will contribute to this effort by providing solar energy or a dedicated direct electricity line to the centre, so that we can ensure the continuity of its operations,” he said.
Bakri Al-Amin, an activist with the Al-Hawadith Street Initiative in Damazin, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the centre had closed following the direct targeting of an electricity substation, further worsening conditions for patients dependent on dialysis.
He called on civil society groups, international organisations and the regional government to urgently provide alternative energy sources to enable the centre to resume operations.
The disruption highlights the vulnerability of essential healthcare services to attacks on critical infrastructure, particularly in areas where medical facilities depend on reliable electricity supplies.
There was no immediate comment from the relevant authorities on the centre’s closure.
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