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After three years of conflict, Sudan faces a deeper health crisis
Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with devastating consequences for people’s health.
While the situation is improving in some states, the health crisis is deepening in areas where fighting continues. Disease outbreaks and malnutrition are rising, while access to health services shrink, and funding falls short.
Nearly 34 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 21 million in need of health assistance. Over 4 million people are estimated to be acutely malnourished in 2026 (IPC Alert, 5 February 2026) making them vulnerable to medical complications and disease.
Disease outbreaks are widespread, with malaria, dengue, measles, polio (cVDPV2), hepatitis E, meningitis, and diphtheria reported from several states, including Al Jazirah, Darfur, Gedaref, Khartoum, Kordofan, River Nile, and White Nile states.
Across Sudan’s 18 states, 37% of health facilities remain non-functional. Health facilities, ambulances, patients and health workers have been repeatedly attacked, further reducing access to health care, particularly in conflict-affected areas where hospitals are only partially functioning or have closed due to the destruction of facilities and equipment. WHO has verified 217 attacks on health care, since 15 April 2023, with 2052 deaths and 810 injuries.
“The war in Sudan is devastating lives and denying people their most basic rights, including health, water, food and safety. The health system has been crippled, leaving millions without essential health care,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Doctors and health workers can save lives, but they must have safe places to work and the medicines and supplies they need. Ultimately, the best medicine is peace.”
In the Greater Darfur and Kordofan regions, fighting has forced people from their homes and severely restricted the movement of humanitarian supplies. An example of this is the recent attack on El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, which has further compounded the crisis, resulting in at least 64 deaths, including children and health workers, and rendering the hospital non-functional. The hospital served as a critical referral hospital for hundreds of thousands of people across East Darfur.
“Three years in conflict have turned Sudan into the world’s largest ongoing health crisis, where disease is spreading, malnutrition is rising, and access to health care is rapidly declining,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy. “With millions lacking basic medical care, facing hunger, and at risk of disease, Sudan’s health crisis continues to deepen, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian support and long-term solutions. We remain committed to the people of Sudan.”
With services suspended, patients in urgent need of care are forced to undertake long and dangerous journeys to reach the nearest functioning health facilities. Repeated attacks on health care in the Kordofans have also destroyed health facilities, and have had a similar human toll, with injuries and deaths of patients, including children.
“WHO has been on the ground since the start of the conflict, with supplies, disease surveillance, training and coordination,” said Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative to Sudan. “As access to some areas opens up, we are stepping up efforts to support early recovery and rehabilitation of the health system alongside the humanitarian response.”
WHO is supporting the supply chain for essential medicines, medical supplies and equipment, strengthening the health workforce and has helped restore key public health services, including state and national reference laboratories. Since April 2023, WHO has delivered over 3300 metric tons of medicines and medical supplies, including supplies for cholera, malaria, nutrition, and trauma care.
WHO-supported services have helped provide essential health care to more than 4.1 million people through primary health care centres, mobile clinics and hospitals. WHO also supported the treatment of over 118 000 children with complicated severe acute malnutrition, and vaccination campaigns, reaching more than 46 million children and adults with cholera, polio, diphtheria, measles and rubella vaccines. Malaria vaccines were also introduced; Sudan being the first country in the region to include malaria vaccines in the routine immunization programme.
WHO worked closely with the Federal and State Ministries of Health and partners to contain two cholera outbreaks. The most recent one was declared over in March 2026, following a sustained response lasting more than a year, including oral cholera vaccination campaigns reaching 24.5 million people.
WHO acknowledges the financial support of donors and development partners, whose generosity has ensured the provision of medical supplies, equipment, operational support and technical assistance.
WHO reiterates its commitment to the health of everyone, everywhere in Sudan. To ensure this, WHO calls for unrestricted and safe access to all areas of Sudan, for the protection of health care, and for sustained humanitarian and long-term funding.
Peace is long overdue for Sudan. Without peace, health cannot be attained.
