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Sudan’s collapsing healthcare system is a global emergency in waiting

48 0
07.06.2025

Sudan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian and health emergencies in the world today. The country, gripped by a brutal civil war since April 2023, has witnessed the near-total collapse of its healthcare system. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has inflicted catastrophic damage on essential infrastructure, displaced millions, and left almost half the population in urgent need of medical care. Despite the scale of this disaster, the crisis in Sudan remains dangerously underreported and severely underfunded.

Over the past two years, more than 250 hospitals and healthcare facilities have been destroyed, either through direct bombardment or rampant looting. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 60 percent of Sudan’s pharmacies and medical warehouses have been rendered inoperable. With basic supplies vanishing and medical personnel fleeing or falling victim to the violence, the healthcare system has crumbled to the point of nonexistence in large swathes of the country.

The breakdown in healthcare has turned Sudan into a breeding ground for deadly disease outbreaks. Cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever are now spreading unchecked, fueled by poor sanitation, contaminated water sources, and overcrowded refugee camps. Immunization campaigns have come to a halt, allowing previously controlled diseases to resurge at a frightening pace. The WHO has documented at least 156 deliberate attacks on healthcare workers and facilities, exacerbating an already dire situation.

Sudan’s healthcare emergency is not just a national tragedy; it is a regional and global threat. More than 3.3 million people have fled the country, pouring into neighboring nations like Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Central African Republic. These countries, already grappling with their own fragile healthcare systems and limited resources, are now overwhelmed by the influx of malnourished and diseased refugees.

Diseases like cholera do not respect borders. When spread in crowded,........

© Blitz