The war in Sudan has caused a breakdown in immunization across the Darfur region, with tens of thousands of patients treated for vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and pertussis since the beginning of 2024, according to a press release by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The organization is urging Sudanese health and political authorities to lift administrative blockages preventing vaccines from entering Darfur. MSF also calls on donor countries and the UN to increase funding and provide vaccines to health authorities. Without immediate action, the organization warns, deadly outbreaks of preventable diseases will continue to escalate. The appeal accompanies a new MSF report documenting the scale of outbreaks across Darfur.
Sudan is now in the fourth year of war and faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In 2026, 34 million people need humanitarian aid, while 21 million cannot access basic or lifesaving medical care due to the collapse of the Sudanese health system. According to the World Health Organization, 37 percent of health facilities across the country are non-functional. Those still open in Darfur report severe shortages of staff, medicines, vaccines, equipment, and supplies. Many have only partially functioning or non-functioning cold chains to keep vaccines viable.
Between January 2024 and April 2026, MSF-supported facilities across Darfur reported 28,481 measles cases and 1,913 pertussis cases. Among measles patients, 75 percent were not vaccinated, and 69 percent were children under 5 years old. Locations including Tawila, El Geneina, Rokero, Zalingei, Nyala, and East Jebel Marra saw recurrent transmission over consecutive years. Transmission was particularly high in South Darfur, where 10,600 suspected measles cases were reported in the first four months of 2026 alone, exceeding the total recorded in 2025. MSF is unable to import vaccines for either routine immunization or emergency responses in Sudan.
“Our teams are constantly treating children for diseases that could have been prevented with a vaccine,” said Sebastián Traficante, MSF emergency coordinator in Darfur. “Many children reach our facilities in critical condition, and they simply don’t make it out of the hospital.” Dr. Saiful Islam, MSF emergency medical coordinator for South Darfur, noted that routine vaccination services struggle to reach people, especially in remote areas, with supply, transport, and storage facing significant barriers. He attributed these largely to administrative delays, including in obtaining import approvals and travel permits. He added that state-level vaccination offices are often not functioning, and many health facilities rely on volunteers.
Emergency vaccination campaigns have helped contain some outbreaks, but MSF stresses they cannot replace routine immunization. In Tawila, North Darfur, more than 1,900 measles cases were treated at Tawila Hospital between January and April 2026, after which an emergency campaign reached 130,000 children, cutting cases to 96 between April and September 2026, a 95 percent reduction. MSF calls on health authorities, donors, and UN agencies to fund and facilitate mobile and catch-up vaccination across Darfur and the rest of Sudan. The organization also urges all warring parties and authorities in Sudan to immediately remove administrative barriers to the import and transport of vaccines. Without sustained investment in routine vaccination, cold chain infrastructure, staff, and disease surveillance, outbreaks will keep returning.