The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent and strongly worded warning about the catastrophic state of the health sector in Sudan, asserting that repeated and systematic attacks on medical facilities are pushing the entire health system to the brink of total collapse. This warning comes at a time when the country is experiencing an unprecedented deterioration in humanitarian and security conditions, threatening the lives of millions of civilians.
Shocking figures reflect the scale of the disaster
In its report, the organization revealed alarming statistics reflecting the depth of the tragedy, stating that more than 33.7 million people are in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance to survive. The data also indicated that the ongoing war has forced approximately 13.6 million people to flee their homes, either within Sudan or to neighboring countries, escaping the horrors of bombing and clashes, making it one of the world's largest displacement crises currently.
systematic targeting of medical facilities
The World Health Organization has documented at least 205 confirmed attacks on health facilities, ambulances, and medical personnel since the conflict began. The organization stressed that these attacks not only constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law but also deprive civilians of their fundamental right to healthcare and further complicate efforts to control diseases and epidemics.
The context of the conflict and its historical repercussions
This rapid deterioration stems from the outbreak of armed conflict in mid-April 2023, which brought public life to a near standstill in the capital, Khartoum, the Darfur region, and other areas. The prolonged fighting, without a political solution, has destroyed vital infrastructure, disrupted medical supply chains, and rendered dozens of hospitals inoperable, leaving millions of patients, including those with chronic illnesses, facing an uncertain future.
Increased health and regional risks
The effects of the collapse of the health system in Sudan are not limited to the country itself, but extend to pose a threat to regional health security. With the cessation of vaccination programs and the deterioration of sanitation networks, there are growing fears of outbreaks of serious epidemics such as cholera, dengue fever, and malaria, which could spread across borders with the massive displacement of people to neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, placing enormous pressure on the health systems of those countries.
Call for urgent action
The organization concluded its statement by calling on the international community and donors to immediately increase humanitarian funding, stressing the need to protect the health sector from military targeting. It also emphasized that the fundamental solution to this crisis lies in urgent and serious efforts to achieve peace and a ceasefire, enabling medical teams to reach those in need and salvage what remains of the collapsing health system.
