Since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan on 15th April, UNICEF, WHO, and their partners have been working tirelessly to support the Federal Ministry of Health and state ministries of health in maintaining vital services across the country. However, they are now facing increasing challenges due to safety and security limitations, restricted access, and limited resources.
The agencies have issued a warning, stating that further disruptions to the health system will lead to an alarming number of preventable deaths among children and vulnerable populations. Urgent action is needed to preserve Sudan’s health systems, particularly at the community and primary healthcare levels.
Six months into the conflict, health workers have gone without pay for months, and many health facilities have been occupied, looted, or destroyed. Shockingly, around 70% of hospitals in conflict-affected states are non-functional. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified 58 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in the deaths of 31 healthcare workers and patients, with an additional 38 injuries.
In addition to the ongoing fighting in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofans, the rainy season is further limiting access to vulnerable communities and creating favourable conditions for the spread of water and vector-borne diseases.
Millions of families are trapped in the middle of the conflict, with over 5.8 million people, including 2.5 million children, being newly displaced. Sudan now has the highest number of internally displaced people in the world, with over 7.1 million internal displacements, 4.5 million of which occurred since the outbreak of the conflict. These displaced individuals lack access to basic necessities such as food, safe drinking water, healthcare, and sanitation, increasing the risk of death due to birth complications, reduced vaccination rates, disease outbreaks, and malnutrition.
Although there is limited data available, projections based on the Johns Hopkins’ Lives Saved Tool modelling indicate that at least 10,000 children under the age of 5 may die by the end of 2023 due to increased food insecurity and disruptions to essential services since the conflict began. This number is more than 20 times the official count of children killed by the fighting.
The number of hungry families has nearly doubled, with 700,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and 100,000 children requiring life-saving treatment for acute malnutrition with medical complications. Additionally, a cholera outbreak has been reported in Gedaref State, Khartoum, and South Kordofan states, with suspected cases also emerging in Gezira State. Cholera, a highly contagious and deadly disease, has already claimed the lives of 65 people, including children, out of 1,310 reported cases in the four states.
UNICEF and WHO have expressed deep concern about the spread of cholera, measles, malaria, and dengue across the country, posing a significant threat to malnourished children. State health authorities have reported suspected cases of measles (4,296 cases with 108 deaths), dengue (4,307 cases with 16 deaths), and over 710,000 clinical malaria cases with 27 deaths. However, confirming these outbreaks is challenging due to limited access to affected areas and difficulties in transporting samples.
WHO, UNICEF, and their health partners are working tirelessly to ensure that primary healthcare, life-saving medical supplies, and nutrition are accessible to the displaced and other vulnerable populations. They are also providing support to health authorities in responding to the cholera outbreak. However, the current resources are only able to reach a fraction of those in need of these critical services.
Mandeep O’Brien, the UNICEF Country Representative in Sudan, highlights the devastating impact on maternal, newborn, and child health services, which have been decimated in some areas. Health workers have not been paid for months, supplies are running low, and critical infrastructure remains under attack. O’Brien emphasizes the urgent need for access and resources to help Sudan save the health and well-being of its youngest citizens.
Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO Representative in Sudan, adds that primary healthcare is now out of reach for millions of Sudanese at a time when they need it the most. Health partners are committed to providing life-saving services and preventing unnecessary loss of life from treatable and preventable diseases. Dr. Abid emphasizes the importance of stopping attacks on healthcare, ensuring safe and unhindered access, and adequately resourcing health operations. Ultimately, peace is the ultimate solution to this crisis.
