Sudan is experiencing a catastrophic health emergency as the civil war between rival military factions moves into its third year with hospitals destroyed medical supply chains cut and millions of civilians left without access to basic healthcare services according to aid agencies and health officials on the ground
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has devastated the country’s health infrastructure particularly in urban centers like Khartoum and conflict zones in Darfur and Kordofan
Thousands of healthcare workers have fled the country or been displaced while those who remain face extreme shortages of medicine equipment electricity and safe working conditions many hospitals have been damaged or occupied by armed groups forcing them to shut down or operate at minimal capacity
International humanitarian groups report alarming surges in preventable diseases including cholera malaria measles and acute malnutrition among children with health services unable to meet the soaring demand due to insecurity and lack of funding
The World Health Organization has warned that large parts of Sudan’s population especially in remote and war torn areas are now cut off from life saving treatment vaccination campaigns and maternal health services contributing to rising death rates and a deepening public health disaster
In displacement camps across the country living conditions are deteriorating rapidly with overcrowding lack of clean water and poor sanitation fueling disease outbreaks aid deliveries have been repeatedly delayed or blocked due to ongoing fighting and restricted access
Doctors and health workers operating in makeshift clinics describe a dire situation where surgeries are performed without anesthesia patients die from treatable conditions and medical staff work under constant threat of violence or arrest
Health officials and humanitarian leaders have called on both warring sides to guarantee safe corridors for medical aid and to respect the neutrality of health facilities but ceasefire agreements have consistently failed and attacks on hospitals continue to be reported
As the war drags on Sudan’s economy remains in collapse with inflation soaring and the public health sector unable to pay salaries or procure essential drugs international donors have pledged support but say that a lasting solution depends on ending the conflict and restoring governance structures that can coordinate a nationwide response
The war has already killed tens of thousands and displaced millions and now threatens to cause even greater loss of life through a collapsing healthcare system and unchecked disease spread
Analysts warn that without urgent international intervention and a political resolution the humanitarian and health crisis in Sudan could become one of the worst in recent global history
