Sudan’s Health System on Brink of Collapse as War Rages On
The United Nations’ top health official has sounded the alarm, warning that Sudan’s health system is on the verge of collapse due to 16 months of devastating war. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), described the situation as a "perfect storm of crises" that the world is largely ignoring.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has already claimed the lives of over 20,000 people, with the true number likely higher. The war has also displaced over 10 million people within the country and forced another two million to flee to neighboring countries.
The situation is dire, with catastrophic seasonal floods further damaging vital infrastructure, disease outbreaks such as cholera and malaria on the rise, and reports of conflict-related sexual violence and famine in some areas. According to Dr. Tedros, 25.6 million people – over half of Sudan’s population – are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
Despite these alarming statistics, the international community appears to have forgotten about Sudan, with the conflict receiving little attention or action. Dr. Tedros urged the world to "wake up" and help Sudan out of its nightmare, calling for an immediate ceasefire and a lasting political solution.
The UN health chief emphasized that the best medicine for Sudan is peace, and that a range of actions are needed to save millions of lives. These include protecting health facilities, health workers, and patients, as well as providing sustained access to deliver supplies and aid, scaling up disease surveillance and vaccination coverage, and securing a massive increase in finances from the international community to scale up the response.
The humanitarian sector has requested $2.7 billion to provide life-saving support, but only half of that amount has been funded. Dr. Tedros’ words are a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of inaction and the urgent need for the international community to come together to support Sudan.