Resident doctors, referred to as junior doctors in England started a five-day walkout on Friday to protest the decrease in income caused by rising living costs.
This marks the 13th such strike by doctors in England over the past two years.
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England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
The walkout may pose a significant risk of postponements in surgeries and appointments within the Britain's National Health Service (NHS).
The walkout is organized by the British Medical Association (BMA), which emphasized that the strike is not the doctors' preferred course of action. However, prolonged issues and a severe staffing shortage have compelled them to take to the streets once again.
"So there are more doctors in the last year left the NHS than they did in the last decade. They're going to other countries, they're going to other industries here in the UK because they aren't being valued. We think a fair offer which values doctors to keep them in the NHS and also adds more doctors to health system is what patients need," said Jack Fletcher, a doctor.
Resident doctors represent the first step for medical students entering the workforce. However, the continuous rise in living costs has led to dissatisfaction with the income of these young professionals.
This strike is the 13th large-scale action taken by health-care workers in the UK since March 2023, with participation from tens of thousands of BMA resident doctors.
The NHS has stated that it will strive to maintain normal hospital operations. However, the previous strike has resulted in approximately 54,000 cancellation or rescheduling of surgeries and appointments.
This latest strike is projected to cost the UK government around 240 million pounds.
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
England's resident doctors start 5-day walkout
Museums and archaeological sites across Sudan have suffered drain of cultural relics, which are either damaged or looted amid the ongoing armed conflicts that have persisted in the country for nearly three years.
The country has been engulfed in a deadly conflict since April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
Beyond severe casualties and infrastructure damage, the conflict has been also lethal to the country's cultural heritage.
"Our museum is in a dire situation. Many cultural relics have been looted, while some have been completely destroyed or damaged to various extent. The main building, along with several important structures of the museum, was struck by rockets," said Jamal Al-Abidin, curator of the Khalifa House Museum.
Official data reveal that a total of 22 national museums were damaged or robbed and about 4,000 pieces of cultural relics have been missing in Sudan's conflict.
Al-Nazir Satti, an official with the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, said that the loss in relics has posed a grave threat to Sudanese culture and people's identity to themselves and their history.
"Many museums have been looted and vandalized, which are among the most serious consequences of the conflict. This devastation threatens to destroy our culture, erase our history, and undermine the Sudanese people's recognition of their historical heritage and identity," said Satti.
Many of the looted cultural relics have been smuggled out of Sudan. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and archaeological experts have repeatedly expressed concerns about the loss of these artifacts and have urged the global art market not to accept relics of unknown origin from Sudan.
"We must hold these relic looters accountable and urge the international community to take actions against the theft and smuggling of these artifacts," said Sabah Al-Khair Muhammad, an archaeological expert.
On Tuesday, the Sudanese government announced that it has recovered 570 pieces of cultural relics. However, due to the impact of war, most museums in Sudan, in the plight of manpower and funding shortage, are yet to reopen. Recovering lost cultural relics and rebuilding museums and other cultural facilities remain a long-term and arduous task for the country.
Sudan conflict results in cultural relics drain
