The healthcare system in Sudan has been left in a state of near-total collapse following the civil war that erupted in April 2023. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has devastated infrastructure, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Hospitals and clinics across the country have been systematically targeted, looted, and destroyed. In conflict zones, only about one-third of hospitals remain operational, and even those are functioning with limited capacity due to shortages of medical supplies, fuel, and personnel.
The war has severely disrupted essential health services. Dialysis centers, for example, have been decimated, with dozens destroyed in the early weeks of fighting. Patients with kidney failure now face agonizing delays and dangerous travel conditions just to access treatment. Many have fled the country in search of care, while others remain trapped in areas with intermittent electricity, malfunctioning equipment, and no access to medication.
The situation is equally dire in displacement camps, where famine and disease are rampant. In East Darfur’s Lagawa camp, at least thirteen children died in a single month due to food shortages and malnutrition. Cholera outbreaks have surged, particularly in Khartoum and Darfur, in Tawila, where over 1,500 cases have been reported. The breakdown of water and sanitation systems, combined with low vaccination coverage, has made the spread of infectious diseases almost inevitable.
International aid efforts have struggled to keep pace with the scale of the crisis. In cities like Atbara, in northern Sudan, patient numbers have quadrupled, overwhelming hospitals that were never equipped to handle such surges. These numbers came from conflict areas and the hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the city.
Sudan’s healthcare crisis is not just about destroyed buildings or missing supplies—it’s about the erosion of trust, safety, and access. The war has transformed hospitals into battlegrounds and displaced communities into zones of suffering. Rebuilding the system will require not only peace and funding but also a deep commitment to restoring the dignity and resilience of Sudan’s people.
