KHARTOUM – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that international funding cuts are forcing health centres across Sudan to close, depriving millions of people of basic medical care and increasing pressure on hospitals and facilities that remain operational.
The medical charity said the impact of primary healthcare closures is already visible in Central Darfur, where admissions to MSF-supported hospitals in Zalingei and Rokero have risen by 22.5% as primary health centres shut down and patients struggle to access treatment.
MSF said closing clinics does not eliminate patients’ need for medical care. Instead, it shifts the burden to the next available health facilities, placing additional pressure on hospitals and exhausting already limited capacity.
The organisation warned that continued reductions in health funding during the war could widen the gap in access to medical care, especially in areas already suffering from shortages of facilities, health workers and medical supplies.
Sudan’s health system has faced unprecedented pressure since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023. The conflict has damaged or shut down many health facilities, displaced medical workers, disrupted supply chains and caused severe shortages of medicines and medical equipment.
International funding shortfalls are among the most serious threats to the remaining health services in Sudan. Many facilities, particularly in displacement areas and war-affected regions, rely on humanitarian organisations to provide medicines, staff support, operating costs and basic services.
When funding stops, primary healthcare centres are forced to close or reduce services, pushing patients to travel longer distances to hospitals and other facilities that are still functioning.
As patient numbers rise, these facilities face growing pressure, including shortages of beds, medicines and staff, as well as delays in treatment.
The risks are increasing as disease outbreaks, malnutrition and deteriorating water and sanitation services spread in several areas, while access to communities affected by fighting and displacement remains difficult.
Health workers and humanitarian organisations have warned that the collapse of basic healthcare could lead to more preventable deaths, especially among children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and the wounded.
Funding cuts also affect more than treatment. They threaten prevention programmes, vaccination campaigns, nutrition services, reproductive healthcare and epidemic response, weakening the health system’s ability to contain disease outbreaks and respond to emergencies.
With the war continuing, any further reduction in health support risks widening the gap between rising needs and the limited capacity of Sudan’s health system, making the protection of remaining health facilities an urgent humanitarian priority.
