According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a “high risk of biological hazard” at a laboratory in Sudan involved in the ongoing civil war.

Officials stated that it was uncertain who occupied the National Public Health Laboratory in the capital city of Khartoum.

Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the city.

Tuesday, the WHO informed that personnel no longer have access to the lab.

In addition, it warned that power outages made it impossible to manage lab materials effectively.

According to officials, a wide variety of biological and chemical materials are stored in the laboratory. The facility contains measles and cholera pathogens in addition to other hazardous substances.

A lack of electricity also poses a risk of blood bag spoilage for the lab’s dwindling blood bag supply.

Where is the laboratory?

The laboratory is close to the center of Khartoum and the city’s primary airport.

It is located just outside the area where the Sudanese military headquarters are located and where much of the combat has been occurring.

The geographical characteristics of Khartoum place key strategic sites, such as military structures, near vital infrastructure.

Both the military headquarters and the airport are immediately adjacent to a residential area, with several schools and institutions nearby.

Due to staff shortages, medicine and other supply shortages, power outages, and assaults, only a portion of Khartoum’s health facilities can provide care.

According to the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health, 36% of health facilities in Khartoum city are non-functional and 25% are unresponsive.