RSF hits Darfur hospital as cholera, dengue fever spread in war-torn Sudan A Sudanese medical organization said a dozen people were killed after the RSF shelled one of the last operating hospitals in El Fasher, as Sudan’s collapsing health system battles cholera and dengue fever. Sudan
Cholera kills 25 in two days in Sudan's Darfur amid deepening war The town of Tawila has been the hardest hit in Darfur, with 58 new cholera cases reported on Sunday alone. Sudan
UN: Sudanese children 'skin and bones' as 250,000 in El Fasher face starvation The warnings come as reports claim that Colombian mercenaries have taken control over the nearby Zamzam refugee camp. Sudan
Cholera outbreak in war-torn Sudan kills 172, infects over 2,700: What to know Cholera cases are surging in war-torn Sudan, where an overwhelmed health system is struggling to respond amid a civil war that has devastated infrastructure and displaced millions. Sudan
Feature Trump's aid freeze forces war-battered Syrian hospitals to halt services By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Analysis US aid freeze threatens Sudan’s lifeline as USAID support hangs in balance By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
First pharmaceutical factory opens in Syrian opposition area The first pharmaceutical factory in the opposition-controlled areas in northwestern Syria was inaugurated, in a bid to address the lack of medicines and high prices. Syria
Egyptian parliament approves tougher penalties for female genital mutilation Egypt's parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill stipulating tougher penalties for female genital mutilation, which remains widespread despite an official ban on the practice. The move coincided with the death of feminist author Nawal El Saadawi, who fought long and hard for an end to the procedure from which she herself suffered as a child. Egypt
Hamas calls for dismantling American field hospital for failing to provide needed services Hamas refused to deal with the newly established American field hospital in the Gaza Strip and prohibited its citizens from visiting it, saying that the medical center is not providing services for difficult cases, such as cancer, as agreed upon in the truce understandings with Israel. Palestine
Abbas' rival Dahlan coordinates UAE aid to Gaza as Palestinian elections near The United Arab Emirates has sent a new medical aid shipment to the Gaza Strip, the second in a month, to help cope with the coronavirus crisis, raising questions about the role of Fatah’s dismissed leader and President Mahmoud Abbas’ archrival Mohammed Dahlan. Palestine
Turkey’s political divide spills over to treatment of critically ill infants Children suffering from a deadly neuromuscular disorder have found themselves at the heart of political polarization in Turkey after the opposition called for extra funds for their ultra-expensive treatment. Turkey
Egypt launches first monitoring tobacco center in region as smoking on the rise In cooperation with the World Health Organization, Egypt launched the first observatory to monitor tobacco companies in the Middle East, as the country faces a growing number of tobacco users. Egypt
No relief in sight for Mideast hotspots after catastrophic 2020 Conflict, disease, famine compound crises in Gaza, Yemen, Syria. Regional
Deal with US drug company raises controversy in Egypt over use of anti-coronavirus treatment Egypt’s Eva Pharma reached a deal with Gilead Sciences to locally manufacture the antiviral treatment Remdesivir for the treatment of coronavirus patients and distribute it in 127 countries. Egypt
Egypt's lucrative blood plasma black market Selling the plasma of COVID-19 survivors has become a profitable illegal business, after the minister of health announced that using survivor plasma to treat coronavirus patients has proven effective. Egypt
Israel gives final go-ahead for cannabis exports Israeli Economy Minister Eli Cohen gives his final approval for the export of medical cannabis. Israel
Suicide rates increase within Iraq’s Yazidi community The number of suicides among Iraqi Yazidis have been increasing recently, while they receive little support from local and international organizations in this regard. Iraq
Coronavirus reveals Palestinian economic dependence on Israel The coronavirus crisis reveals the dependence of the Palestinian economy on its Israeli counterpart, especially with regard to workers and the sources of income of thousands of families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestine