By Asha Elmi - Reporter
BAIDOA, Somalia, 28 September 2026 - Medical teams working with Somalia's Ministry of Health at Bay Regional Hospital in Baidoa have received 69 patients affected by the latest violence in the city, including five children, with three deaths recorded, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Monday.
Fighting erupted in and around Baidoa on Monday morning for the third time since Aug. 17. A health facility was reportedly severely damaged and a healthcare worker was killed.
An ambulance was looted and civilian homes were also reportedly attacked, while two medical staff working alongside MSF teams were robbed and one was injured, the medical charity said.
"Many cannot reach hospital. Without timely treatment, many can bleed to death," said Dr Elshafie Mohammed, MSF country representative in Somalia.
Roads leading to hospitals in Baidoa have been blocked since the fighting began, severely restricting access to medical care, MSF said. Only a small number of wounded people have managed to reach Bay Regional Hospital.
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MSF said it expected more patients to arrive once access routes reopen and warned that the disruption was also affecting people seeking other urgent medical care.
The latest clashes follow fighting on Aug. 17, when medical teams at Bay Regional Hospital received 94 wounded people, including 29 women and 20 children. Four people died, including a young woman, MSF said.
A new wave of clashes began on Sept. 3, when the hospital received 71 wounded people, including 15 women and 12 children. One death was recorded, according to MSF.
At Bay Regional Hospital, MSF works with Somalia's Ministry of Health to support emergency, maternity, paediatrics, nutrition and outpatient services.
MSF called on all parties to protect civilians, patients, healthcare workers and medical facilities and to ensure that people needing medical care can reach hospitals safely and without obstruction.