According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the seizure of a biolab containing deadly pathogens by fighters amidst the ongoing conflict between two rival generals struggling for power in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, poses a “high risk of biological hazard.”

The National Public Health Laboratory, which contains samples of diseases such as measles, cholera, and polio, was seized by one of the factions following a week of fighting, Vice News is reporting.

The hazardous situation at the National Public Health Laboratory in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, persists as lab workers are unable to access the facility and secure its potentially deadly pathogens.

WHO’s representative in Sudan, Nima Saeed Abid, expressed concern that there is no accessibility to the lab technicians to safely contain the biological materials and substances available.

The lab, which has reference laboratories for controlling diseases such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS, plays a significant role in identifying and preventing possible epidemics in the country, working with the WHO.

The ongoing conflict between the rival generals, Abdel Fattah Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has already caused significant damage, killing 459 and injuring 4,072.

The lab seizure by one of the factions raises the risk of a potential biological hazard that could lead to more suffering, as reported by Vice News.

The council of generals, led by Burhan and Dagalo, has ruled Sudan since taking power in a coup in 2021, and tensions between the two have been high for years.

The WHO declined to disclose which group seized the lab when asked by reporters.

Written by staff