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It’s not good when the military comes crashing in to a bio-research lab. That’s exactly what happened in Sudan recently. It’s not clear which side has control of the facility but either way doesn’t matter all that much.
Lab takeover really dangerous
The person representing the World Health Organization in the Saharan nation of Sudan, which sits right below Egypt on the globe, was more than a little rattled on Tuesday.
Nima Saeed Abid gave a press briefing on April 25 to relate that “fighters have seized a national health facility.” That’s not a good thing. The lab breach is “extremely, extremely dangerous.”
As he was talking to the press, Abid wasn’t even sure which “one of the warring armies in Sudan forcefully kicked out the lab technicians at the National Public Health Laboratory in the capitol of Khartoum.” Whoever it was, created “a risk of biological contamination.”
The Bio lab was intentionally attacked in Sudan… pic.twitter.com/sG09uACfQR
— Yumiko (@Hplc23) April 26, 2023
That could get nasty. “Now it is completely under the control of one of the fighting parties as a military base.” The soldiers don’t have a clue that those breakable bottles and jars are full of such pleasant things as “polio, cholera and measles samples.”
According to Abid, there “is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the [health lab] by one of the fighting parties.” The Sudanese Armed Forces have been shooting it out in the streets with “a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, engulfing the streets of Khartoum in gunfire and explosions.”
Bullets and bombs aren’t real good to have around samples of dengue fever and malaria. At least they aren’t playing with Ebola or Marburg. Well, not that anyone is willing to admit.
Temporary ceasefire
On Monday, Antony Blinken’s team managed to talk both sides into a “72-hour ceasefire.” They’re hoping to help evacuate as many Americans as they can, even though officially they told each and every one of them they’re on their own.
At the same time the political unrest is going on, the nation is “experiencing a large outbreak of dengue fever and malaria.” That lab is needed to help treat the outbreaks.
The WHO spokesman noted that “hundreds of people have died in the war so far and thousands have been wounded.” There’s already “an acute shortage of food, medicine, water and fuel.”
Sudan fighting brings “huge biological risk" as lab holding samples of deadly diseases occupied, WHO warns.
Why is there a bio lab in Sudan?
Gain-of-Funtion research in Sudan.#SudanConflict#NotCoincidentalThatUSWantsWarInCountriesThatHasTheirBiolabs pic.twitter.com/IwjrkjdjOd— ꪻꫝể ꪻꫝể (@TheThe1776) April 26, 2023
All the residents who can move are rushing to flee the country. Britain, Germany and France “are assisting with evacuations of its own nationals.” Before the lab was occupied by soldiers, Blinky sent in the choppers and extracted “embassy staff” over the weekend. They waved goodbye to “up to 16,000 American citizens” stuck on the ground.
While the ceasefire is great and helps the evacuations, it’s only temporary. Patrick Youssef, the regional director of Africa with the International Committee for the Red Cross, wants a long term solution. Hopefully one involving control of that sensitive health research facility.
“What we need is to create a humanitarian space for our teams.” Who can think of a better place for the WHO to hang out than the virus lab. “While this ceasefire is important — after the ceasefire and if it holds — we need to be able to also make sure we have a very loud and repeated call for the protection of civilians.“
