Sudan’s healthcare system on brink of collapse, MSF warns

How Aid Cuts Are Worsening the Crisis

More than a third of Sudan’s health facilities are nonoperational as aid cuts deepen the humanitarian crisis, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières warns. The organization says the deteriorating situation is leaving millions without access to basic medical care amid ongoing conflict and economic strain. Facilities across the country are struggling to function due to shortages of staff, medicine, and electricity.

The collapse of Sudan’s health infrastructure has accelerated since the outbreak of violence between rival military factions in April 2023. Hospitals and clinics have been damaged, looted, or forced to close as fighting intensifies in urban centers like Khartoum and Darfur. Aid organizations report that funding reductions from international donors have worsened the crisis, limiting their ability to support remaining functional facilities. Many health workers have fled or gone unpaid for months, further weakening the system.

What Can Be Done to Prevent Total Collapse?

Reductions in humanitarian funding have directly impacted the ability of NGOs to maintain essential health services in Sudan. Médecins Sans Frontières states that over 35 percent of health facilities nationwide are either partially or completely nonfunctional. In some regions, the figure exceeds 50 percent. The charity emphasizes that without urgent financial support, preventable diseases will spread and maternal and child mortality will rise sharply. Local medical staff continue to work under extreme conditions, often without salaries or supplies.

International donors must urgently restore and increase funding to sustain critical health operations in Sudan. Médecins Sans Frontières calls for immediate investment in repairing damaged facilities, replenishing medical supplies, and incentivizing health workers to remain in their posts. The organization also urges warring parties to respect medical facilities and allow unimpeded humanitarian access. Without coordinated action, the healthcare system risks irreversible failure, leaving civilians with nowhere to turn for treatment.

Why are so many health facilities in Sudan not working? Many facilities are nonoperational due to direct damage from conflict, looting, lack of electricity, and shortages of medicine and staff caused by funding cuts and displacement of workers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Médecins Sans Frontières doing to help? MSF is operating mobile clinics and supporting remaining functional hospitals with supplies, staff incentives, and emergency medical care in accessible areas despite security challenges.

What happens if the health system collapses completely? A total collapse would lead to outbreaks of disease, increased deaths from treatable conditions, and no access to maternal care, worsening the already severe humanitarian crisis.