Sudan

Learn how we're responding to the conflict in Sudan

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continued to respond to multiple health issues during a turbulent year in Sudan, where violence and extreme weather caused mass displacement.

MSF has been present in Sudan since 1979. Before the war broke out in April 2023, MSF teams were working in 11 states across Sudan. In 2022, MSF teams responded to multiple health issues during a turbulent year in Sudan, where violence and extreme weather caused mass displacement. There was a surge in fighting between fragmented armed groups in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile states, causing further displacement.

Among many humanitarian efforts in Sudan, in 2022, MSF teams provided emergency and reproductive healthcare, malnutrition treatment for children, vaccination campaigns, ran mobile clinics and water and sanitation activities, and maintained HIV and TB programmes. When the war broke out in April 2023, many activities were either stopped or shifted to respond to the new emerging needs and emergencies across the country. Some activities continued for example in Darfur thanks to the efforts of our locally hired MSF staff, who continued to work despite the extremely difficult personal and environmental circumstances.

Our activities in 2022

Data and information for the 2022 International Activity Report

586,800

586,8

Outpatient consultations

4,260

4,26

Children admitted to inpatient feeding programmes

1,950

1,95

Births assisted

230

23

Newborns admitted to hospital

In 2022, humanitarian needs were at their highest levels in a decade, amid conflict, erratic rainfall, flooding, food insecurity, funding cuts and an ongoing political and economic crisis.

There was a surge in fighting between fragmented armed groups in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile states, causing further displacement. According to UN estimates, more than three million people were displaced across the country, including around 400,000 people newly displaced in 2022, about 2.5 million of them in Darfur.

We worked in four states in Darfur, mostly in hard-to-reach communities otherwise cut off from assistance, including in the Jebel Marra region, providing care through mobile and fixed clinics and hospitals. Services included general, specialist, emergency and reproductive healthcare, nutrition support for children, health promotion and vaccination campaigns.

In Blue Nile state, we ran a therapeutic feeding programme for malnourished children, and supported rural health clinics offering basic healthcare. We conducted mobile clinics and water and sanitation activities at sites where displaced families resided following three waves of violent clashes.

Our teams in Khartoum and Omdurman continued to provide general healthcare and emergency services for refugees, displaced people and host communities.

In early 2022, during protests, we supported seven Ministry of Health ambulances, donated supplies, and trained eight hospitals in mass casualty management. In January, nine MSF staff were detained briefly in Khartoum, and health facility raids were common. In December, we concluded our support to Mygoma orphanage in Khartoum and handed over to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health.

In Al-Gedaref and Kassala states, we assisted Ethiopian refugees and local communities by offering basic health and reproductive care, nutrition support for children, and treatment for neglected tropical diseases.

From June to September, heavy rains caused widespread flooding. Partnering with local communities, MSF responded across four states, providing drinking water and essential items, along with sanitation and hygiene services.