Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has described the health system in Sudan as being in a state of “complete collapse.”
He reported on Sunday that between 70% and 80% of health facilities and institutions in Sudan are no longer operational.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan, the country’s temporary administrative capital, Tedros highlighted the severe humanitarian and health emergency unfolding in the nation.
He noted that the conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths. Despite the scale of the crisis, the international response remains inadequate.
According to Dr. Tedros, 25 million people need assistance, with 14 million requiring urgent humanitarian aid.
He estimated that the cost of addressing these needs amounts to approximately $2.7 billion, yet only half of this amount is currently available.
Tedros criticized the global community for its insufficient attention to the scale of the health crisis in Sudan. His visit aimed to engage with partners and seek additional resources to address the extensive needs.
In addition to the casualties, there are 10 million displaced people and over 2 million refugees in neighboring countries, marking one of the largest displacement crises globally.
The WHO has documented over 100 attacks on health workers and humanitarian staff. One of the major challenges facing humanitarian operations is the inability to secure borders and crossings for delivering aid. The threat of famine looms over more than 25.6 million people, nearly half of Sudan’s population.
Tedros also warned of exacerbating factors including natural disasters such as floods, the collapse of infrastructure, and outbreaks of diseases like cholera, measles, and monkeypox.
During his visit, Dr. Tedros toured the pediatric emergency department at Port Sudan General Hospital, visited several shelters, and met with Sudanese authorities including General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council.
General al-Burhan assured Dr. Tedros of Sudan’s commitment to facilitating the WHO’s support for the country’s health sector.
Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Mohamed described Dr. Tedros’s visit as “crucial,” emphasizing its role in highlighting the dire health and humanitarian situation and the urgent need for assistance.
According to the Sudanese Doctors’ Union, the health system in Sudan is “completely collapsed,” with conditions expected to worsen with the onset of the rainy season and the spread of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and measles.
The union reports over 40,000 deaths from the ongoing conflict since April last year, with actual numbers potentially higher due to underreporting.
