Key facts
- Sudan's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse due to funding cuts, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
- Dozens of healthcare facilities have closed as funding from major donors like USAID has decreased.
- The ongoing war between the army and RSF has created a severe humanitarian crisis, increasing medical needs.
- Patients are undertaking dangerous journeys for treatment, often arriving in worse condition.
- Attacks on healthcare workers and facilities persist, with 1,620 deaths recorded in 2025.
- Millions in Sudan face severe food insecurity and hunger.
Sudan's healthcare system is on the verge of collapse due to a significant reduction in global funding, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned. The closure of USAID, the U.S. body for foreign aid delivery, last year, coupled with decreasing international assistance from European governments, has left dozens of organizations without funding. This has resulted in the shutdown of numerous healthcare facilities across the country, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began in April 2023.
MSF stated that while the U.S. remains the largest donor, grants for many USAID-funded organizations expired in June. The medical charity noted a global decline in international aid, with the OECD reporting a 21.3% drop in 2025 compared to the previous year. Muhammad Ibrahim, head of MSF in Sudan, highlighted that the shrinking response contrasts with the escalating needs driven by the war.
The closure of essential services forces patients to undertake long and perilous journeys to seek treatment, often arriving in a more critical condition. Sebastián Traficante, MSF's emergency co-ordinator in Darfur, reported a 22.5% increase in admissions to supported facilities between January and April 2026 compared to the same period last year. In May alone, 45 healthcare centers in the area ceased receiving funding. The strain on remaining hospitals is immense, with dwindling supplies and capacity.
Examples of the crisis include the Tanedba camp in Gedaref state, where maternity and surgical wards closed after a humanitarian organization departed in June, forcing MSF to operate an emergency room and patients to travel three hours for surgical deliveries. In the Um Rakuba camp, the number of aid agencies has fallen from 35 in 2021 to fewer than 10. Liz Harding, MSF's UK humanitarian representative, warned that without increased support, patients will face longer journeys, fewer options, and a greater risk of not receiving timely care.
Compounding the funding crisis, attacks on healthcare workers and facilities continue. In 2025, Sudan recorded 1,620 deaths from attacks on medical facilities, accounting for 82% of global fatalities in such incidents. The UN reports that over 19.5 million people are experiencing food insecurity, with more than five million facing emergency hunger levels. The conflict shows no signs of abating, with recent reports of a drone attack killing 11 people in Umm Ruwaba.