PORT SUDAN – The World Health Organization said 228 attacks on health care have been recorded in Sudan since April 2023, killing 2,055 people and injuring 817, as continued fighting, medicine shortages and funding gaps threaten the ability of health facilities to remain operational.
WHO said in its September 2026 health report that 27 attacks on health care were reported during the first nine months of this year, killing 197 people and injuring 327.
One attack was recorded in September involving the militarization of a health-care asset, obstruction of health-care delivery, removal of health-care assets and violence involving individual weapons.
The attacks come amid a war that has displaced millions of people and severely disrupted basic services since fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.
As of Aug. 26, Sudan had an estimated 8.6 million internally displaced people and 5.1 million returnees, maintaining heavy demand for primary health care, maternal and newborn services, nutrition treatment and care for chronic diseases.
WHO said Health Cluster consultations had highlighted growing risks from the withdrawal of humanitarian partners, unpaid health workers and disrupted patient referral systems, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.
Severe Shortages in Darfur
A WHO mission led by its Sudan representative, Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, visited West, North, Central and South Darfur in September and found critical shortages of medicines, medical supplies, health personnel and essential services.
The mission also reported rising malnutrition and severely limited access to mental health care.
Darfur hosts about 65% of Sudan’s internally displaced population, according to the report, while Tawila alone is hosting more than 700,000 displaced people, with health needs far exceeding available resources.
The field mission lasted 10 days, but reaching Darfur and returning required 18 days of travel through two countries, illustrating the difficulties humanitarian teams face in reaching affected communities.
Disruptions along the Adré supply route have also complicated the replenishment of medical stocks in Darfur, while health facilities have reported medicine shortages, weak laboratory specimen transport and gaps in water, sanitation and electricity.
Multiple Disease Outbreaks
WHO said cholera cases continued to decline overall, although transmission remained a concern, particularly in West and North Kordofan.
More than 3,100 cholera cases and 264 deaths had been reported since the outbreak began in May.
Surveillance data also showed about 89,000 dengue cases and 181 deaths across 15 states by Sept. 25, while more than 2 million malaria cases and 64 deaths had been recorded in 13 states by Sept. 11.
Sudan also recorded 8,265 hepatitis E cases and 88 deaths across 10 states, along with 6,986 measles cases and 77 deaths in 12 states by Sept. 25.
Measles cases were concentrated in North Kordofan, White Nile and North Darfur. WHO noted that the disease figures are cumulative and cover different reporting periods.
The agency also detected increased mosquito density in Sennar, Al Jazirah and Gedaref, while Anopheles stephensi was identified in Al Jazirah, Khartoum and River Nile, increasing the risk of urban malaria transmission.
Insecurity and active fighting in Gharb Bara locality in North Kordofan delayed implementation of a cholera vaccination campaign.
Elsewhere, vaccination campaigns reached 675,295 people in An Nuhud, Al Fula and Wad Bandah, while second-round preventive campaigns vaccinated 156,983 people in Kas and 83,100 in Tawila.
Malnutrition Adds Pressure
WHO warned that poor rainfall and the anticipated impact of El Niño were increasing food insecurity and malnutrition risks in several states, placing further pressure on Sudan’s health system.
A total of 3,020 children with severe acute malnutrition were admitted for inpatient treatment in September.
WHO provided technical and operational support to 17 stabilization centres across seven states treating children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.
The agency warned that insecurity, displacement, funding shortages and supply constraints were threatening the continued operation of those centres, while staffing and information-system gaps were limiting nutrition surveillance and response planning.
During September, WHO distributed 123 metric tonnes of essential health and medical supplies valued at about $2.7 million to 16 states through its Port Sudan warehouse and the cross-border corridor from Chad.
The agency also continued supporting 10 referral hospitals across 10 states.
A national polio outbreak-response campaign is scheduled for Oct. 26-29 and is expected to target about 11 million children — those under 10 in Darfur and children under five in the rest of Sudan.
A separate catch-up vaccination campaign scheduled to begin Oct. 18 will target more than 156,000 children in West and Central Darfur.
WHO said it remained prepared to expand essential health services, disease surveillance and laboratory support, but warned that urgent funding and safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access were needed.
