Sudan: Health System Collapse and Disease Surge Amid Ongoing Conflict and Displacement (2026)

Sudan’s health system remains in a severe state of collapse amid the ongoing conflict that began in April 2023. WHO reported in July 2025 that 38% of health facilities were non-functional and only 14% of hospitals remained operational, with Khartoum’s health infrastructure heavily damaged or repurposed for military use. The UN reported in January 2026 that more than one third of facilities nationwide were still non-functional, while WHO said the conflict had driven the system to the brink of collapse and left millions without access to essential care. The crisis is being compounded by repeated attacks on healthcare, mass displacement, hunger, and disease outbreaks. WHO said it had verified 201 attacks on healthcare since the conflict began, causing 1,858 deaths and 490 injuries; MSF separately reported more than 2,000 deaths and 720 injuries in 213 attacks on health facilities across Sudan, and said Sudan accounted for 82% of global deaths from attacks on healthcare in 2025. The humanitarian situation remains dire: the UN says 33.7 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2026, with more than 20 million needing health assistance and 21 million facing acute food insecurity. Recent reporting also points to ongoing outbreaks and overcrowding in conflict-affected and displaced communities, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Al-Jazira, Sennar, and eastern Sudan.