Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with devastating consequences for people’s health, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a press release dated April 14, 2026. Nearly 34 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 21 million in need of health assistance. Disease outbreaks and malnutrition are rising while access to health services shrinks and funding falls short. While conditions are improving in some states, the crisis is deepening in areas where fighting continues. Over 4 million people are estimated to be acutely malnourished in 2026, making them vulnerable to medical complications and disease.
Across Sudan’s 18 states, 37% of health facilities remain non-functional. Disease outbreaks are widespread, with malaria, dengue, measles, polio (cVDPV2), hepatitis E, meningitis, and diphtheria reported from several states, including Al Jazirah, Darfur, Gedaref, Khartoum, Kordofan, River Nile, and White Nile states. Health facilities, ambulances, patients, and health workers have been repeatedly attacked, further reducing access to care. WHO has verified 217 attacks on health care since April 15, 2023, resulting in 2,052 deaths and 810 injuries. In the Greater Darfur and Kordofan regions, fighting has forced people from their homes and severely restricted the movement of humanitarian supplies.
A recent attack on El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur resulted in at least 64 deaths, including children and health workers, rendering the hospital non-functional. That hospital had served as a critical referral facility for hundreds of thousands of people across East Darfur. With services suspended, patients in urgent need of care are forced to undertake long and dangerous journeys to reach the nearest functioning health facilities. Since April 2023, WHO has delivered over 3,300 metric tons of medicines and medical supplies, including supplies for cholera, malaria, nutrition, and trauma care. WHO-supported services have helped provide essential health care to more than 4.1 million people through primary health care centers, mobile clinics, and hospitals.
WHO also supported the treatment of over 118,000 children with complicated severe acute malnutrition and vaccination campaigns reaching more than 46 million children and adults with cholera, polio, diphtheria, measles, and rubella vaccines. Sudan became the first country in the region to include malaria vaccines in the routine immunization program. WHO worked closely with the Federal and State Ministries of Health and partners to contain two cholera outbreaks, with the most recent declared over in March 2026 following oral cholera vaccination campaigns reaching 24.5 million people. “The war in Sudan is devastating lives and denying people their most basic rights, including health, water, food and safety,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Ultimately, the best medicine is peace.”
WHO calls for unrestricted and safe access to all areas of Sudan, for the protection of health care, and for sustained humanitarian and long-term funding. “Three years in conflict have turned Sudan into the world’s largest ongoing health crisis, where disease is spreading, malnutrition is rising, and access to health care is rapidly declining,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hanan Balkhy. WHO acknowledges the financial support of donors and development partners whose generosity has ensured the provision of medical supplies, equipment, operational support, and technical assistance. The organization reiterates its commitment to the health of everyone, everywhere in Sudan. Peace is long overdue for Sudan — without peace, health cannot be attained.
