Darfur is experiencing a deteriorating health situation after decline of healthcare services previously provided by state institutions through the Ministry of Health, despite organizations’ attempts to bridge the gap after war and Rapid Support Forces control over most of Darfur.
Over three years, Darfur’s community has been affected by worsening health conditions, evident in cholera outbreaks across wide parts of the region in 2025, and rising malnutrition among children and mothers since 2024. Since January, measles cases have also spread among children across Darfur, according to medical staff who spoke to Atar.
Federal Ministry of Health, in coordination with several organizations operating in Sudan, delivered vaccines and immunizations to states including Darfur after nearly one year since the outbreak of the April war, according to Expanded Immunization Program director Ismail Al-Adni in a previous statement to Atar, despite supply system disruptions due to clashes. across the country overall.
According to a health source speaking to Atar, shipment of measles and rubella vaccines entered Darfur on 23 April via Adre, with UNICEF support. The source added that vaccine entry into the region had been interrupted but resumed.
In November 2024, Federal Ministry of Health said it succeeded, in partnership with National Medical Supplies Fund and UNICEF, in delivering large quantities of medicines and medical supplies for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programs to East Darfur State, affirming it would continue its commitment to providing healthcare services to all citizens across Sudan.
Health Ministry of Tasis Alliance-appointed government, aligned with the Rapid Support Forces, announced in April launched a vaccination campaign targeting 1,398,485 boys and girls, beginning in South Darfur, where medical teams toured 15 localities, with UNICEF support.
In Nertiti and Kalma: A Fast-Spreading Infection
Within just two weeks, measles cases in Kalma camp surged from five infections to 958 cases, including 16 deaths.
Dr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Ishaq, health worker in Kalma camp, South Darfur
In Nertiti, Omar Mohamed, speaking to Atar and working as a volunteer with UNICEF in the immunization department in Nertiti, Central Darfur, said the first measles cases emerged in scattered areas of West Jebel Marra locality, but were most severe in Waringa, Dabanga, and Jebel Ahmar. UNICEF intervened by providing vaccines and training 75 individuals to immunize children across most administrative units of West Jebel Marra.
Speaking to Atar, Dr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Ishaq, a member of the health workforce at Kalma camp in South Darfur, said they recorded the first measles cases in Kalma camp on 13 January, involving five individuals from Centers 2 and 3 inside the camp. Within two weeks, the number of cases surged to 958, including 16 deaths. Abdulmalik added that Kalma camp has three health centers (Alight Center, MSF Center, and IMC Center). The MSF center primarily provides reproductive health services but alone receives measles cases and treats mild infections.
Abdulmalik attributed the spread of measles to the collapse of the health sector and the shutdown of some hospitals, as well as limited access for families to healthcare services due to worsening economic conditions. He also pointed to the decline in vaccination campaigns, displacement that forced communities into crowded shelters, and the highly contagious nature of measles, in addition to poor nutrition and a lack of awareness about its symptoms. Abdulmalik added that the state Ministry of Health intervened in late April with vaccination campaigns supported by UNICEF, which he expects will help curb the spread of the disease.
The director of the Expanded Immunization Program in South Darfur State, Mohammed Haroun, said the campaign aims to address health gaps that have accumulated since 2025 and following the outbreak of the April 15, 2023 war. The state has suffered a severe shortage of vaccines, leading to the spread of measles across all localities, particularly in Nyala South, Nyala North, Tulus, East Jebel Marra, and Kass locality.
He added, “We successfully carried out a first round in January, achieving 95% coverage, followed by a second round in March at 98%. In this third round (April), we hope to exceed previous coverage rates to fully protect our children.”
North Darfur: Hospitals Overwhelmed
In Um Garu Obeida village, under Tawila locality in North Darfur State, Adam Tibin, a member of the Tawila Emergency Room, said the group conducted what it called a general survey on the measles outbreak and identified eight infections in a village of more than 1,000 residents. He described the finding as a warning sign, with more cases expected. Tibin told Atar they lack basic medications for the disease, such as fever reducers and painkillers. “We in the local emergency rooms do not have a vaccine for this disease, and we call on international and regional organizations to urgently intervene to contain it and provide essential needs,” he said.
In the Um Katkoot area of North Darfur State, a member of the local emergency room said its limited resources are unable to cope with the rapid spread of measles. The source told Atar that, as of Saturday, May 2, 40 cases had been recorded in the area, including 12 in critical condition requiring urgent medical intervention. He appealed to humanitarian and medical organizations, UN agencies, and charitable groups to urgently step in to provide life-saving vaccines and medicines, support health centers with medical staff and supplies, and carry out comprehensive vaccination campaigns. He warned that delays in response would worsen the situation and increase the number of deaths.
I went to the hospital two days ago and found it full of children suffering measles complications, lying under harsh conditions without adequate care.
Resident of Al-Sireif locality, North Darfur
In North Darfur State, a resident of Al-Sireif locality told Atar, “I went to the area’s hospital two days ago and found it full of patients suffering measles complications, especially children, lying under harsh conditions without adequate care.”
Sami Khalil Barima, media officer for the Al-Sireif Emergency Room, told Atar that the emergency room had rehabilitated the isolation center at the rural hospital by repairing beds and supplying medicines. However, he said their support remains “a drop in the ocean,” as the hospital still requires substantial assistance, with medicines running out quickly due to the widespread nature of the disease and the continued arrival of patients amid the absence of healthcare services and medical staff. “The scale of the health sector’s collapse is enormous, and radical interventions are urgently needed to save it, as small-scale support is not enough,” he said.
The Emergency Room response, backed by the Coordination Council of North Darfur Emergency Rooms, is part of efforts to halt the outbreak in North Darfur. The spread is driven by vaccine shortages and war-induced malnutrition, with thousands of cases recorded across the state.
In Shangil Tobaya area of North Darfur, where the disease is spreading widely, the Al-Amal and Shelter for Refugees organizations, along with Advocates for Darfur Victims, announced an urgent humanitarian intervention. The response included direct financial support to the Shangil Tobaya Emergency Room and the provision of essential medical supplies and basic medicines to the isolation center. The move came in response to the rapidly escalating measles outbreak among children, amid a severe deterioration in healthcare services and a major shortage of medical supplies in the area.
The intervention helped sustain and operate the isolation center in the Shangil Tobaya administrative unit at a time when the area is facing growing pressure due to the rising number of cases, particularly among children. The organizations said their action aimed to curb the spread of the disease and reduce its risks, noting that 350 children and 1,750 families in the area have benefited from the support.
In Kabkabiya, North Darfur State, a source from the local emergency room told Atar that the disease is spreading rapidly, especially among children, 34 of whom have died as of Sunday, May 3. He revealed that the total number of cases recorded by the emergency room in the locality exceeds 2,000, in addition to 740 cases of diphtheria.
East Darfur: Areas Beyond Reach
A medical source at the East Darfur State Ministry of Health told Atar that additional measles cases are being recorded in Abu Karinka and Adila, as well as in remote areas the ministry has been unable to access. The source called for urgent international intervention to save the situation.
Abdulmajid Al-Imam Gaja, a member of the emergency room in Khour Omar neighborhood, southwest of Ad-Deain, said infection rates are rising daily, urging health authorities to intervene immediately and provide medicines and medical supplies, in addition to sufficient vaccines to immunize children.
A resident of Khour Omar told Atar that cases have been recorded daily since January. “There are no awareness or health education campaigns about the disease,” he said, adding that hospitals in the city have become unable to provide healthcare services to citizens, especially after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) bombardment of Ad-Deain Hospital in March. “The health situation in the city is deteriorating every day, so we are calling for swift intervention to contain the outbreak,” he said.
In Labdo area, Sha’iriya locality in East Darfur State, a member of the local emergency room, who requested anonymity, revealed a widespread outbreak of the disease amid a complete absence of any form of intervention. The source told Atar that confirmed cases in the area had reached 430 as of Sunday, May 3, along with 920 suspected cases and 66 deaths.
The source said there are likely many more infected individuals due to communication challenges, according to the room’s monitoring. “If urgent intervention does not take place, an imminent disaster will engulf the area,” he warned.
He noted that the Labdo Emergency Room conducted a comprehensive field survey that revealed large numbers of cases crowded inside homes, amid a severe shortage of medicines at the health center and pharmacies. This, he said, has contributed to a worsening health situation described as critical.
A medical source at the Labdo Health Center said the East Darfur Emergency Rooms Coordination Council responded on April 16 by supplying medicines to the facility, with support from the organization “Proximity” through the Labdo Emergency Room. However, he stressed that the disease remains a major concern for residents, particularly as cases continue to rise and many of the health center’s needs remain unmet, emphasizing that the absence of immunization is undermining treatment effectiveness.
In the administrative unit of Khazan Jadid in Sha’iriya locality, emergency rooms announced a measles outbreak inside Al-Nakheel displacement camp. A source from the Khazan Jadid Emergency Room told Atar that confirmed cases had reached 144, including 17 deaths. The source added, “By the end of April, there were 80 cases, but the number increased due to weak awareness and lack of medicines,” warning that the rise is expected to continue unless “serious health interventions” are implemented.
The Sha’iriya Emergency Room announced on April 19 that it had delivered a batch of medicines under the emergency response project to combat measles to Sha’iriya Rural Hospital, with support from the East Darfur Grassroots Action Coordination Council.
Local organizations described Sha’iriya Rural Hospital as facing a severe shortage of life-saving medicines, intravenous solutions, and essential nutritional supplies, in addition to weak diagnostic capabilities and a lack of necessary protective equipment for medical staff.
West Darfur: A Landlocked State
We are now a medically landlocked state, as nothing reaches us after the border closures and continued shelling at the Adre crossing.
Source at the West Darfur State Ministry of Health
In West Darfur State, a source at the state Ministry of Health told Atar that measles infection rates are alarmingly high. He said displacement camps and the outskirts of El Geneina are the areas most affected by the spread of the disease. He revealed that the ministry conducted interventions last year targeting the vaccination of 90,000 boys and girls, but shortages of essential supplies, particularly vaccines, along with logistical and security challenges, prevented the campaign from reaching its full coverage targets.
The source, who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media, attributed the sharp rise in infection rates to malnutrition and children’s limited ability to resist the disease due to “hunger.” “The disease is now spreading widely across the state, and without swift intervention the situation will worsen,” he said.
The source said the ministry has recorded 7,322 confirmed cases, 10,530 suspected cases, and 150 deaths since surveillance began in December last year. He acknowledged that these figures remain preliminary, noting that the real numbers on the ground are likely higher. He attributed this discrepancy to difficulties in monitoring amid communication blackouts and the absence of health facilities responsible for surveillance. “We coordinate case tracking with field emergency rooms, which do not exist in many areas of the state,” he said.
The source added that the closure of border crossings has severely restricted the flow of medical supplies into the state. “We are now a medically landlocked state, as nothing reaches us, especially after Chad closed its borders and the SAF continued shelling around the Adre crossing,” he said. He added that the ministry is in contact with international donors to secure medical assistance, including preventive vaccines and treatment supplies.
