Sudan

Summary of Needs

Sudan is projected to face a critical health crisis in 2025, with around 20.3 million people, including approximately 7.4 million IDPs, in need of urgent support. The conflict has left 70-80 per cent of health facilities non-operational or overwhelmed, compounded by violence, economic instability, and climate challenges.¹ Vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, the older people, and individuals with disabilities, are disproportionately affected. Women needing medical and reproductive health services comprise 35 per cent of those affected, while children comprise nearly 55 per cent and face increased risks from disease outbreaks and lack of pediatric care. Around 65 per cent of the population lacks access to adequate healthcare, while attacks on healthcare facilities, with 145 incidents reported by WHO, have caused over 80 deaths and significant disruptions to services. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 54 per cent of deaths, and around 15 per cent of the population lives with disabilities and require rehabilitative services². The lack of health facilities and attended births have life-threatening consequences for pregnant women and girls.

Food insecurity affects over half the population, with 18 per cent facing emergency levels (IPC Phase 4) – a 74 per cent increase from previous estimates -- and 755,000 people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), with famine risks in 14 areas. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects over 778,000 children, with 116,800 needing in-patient care³. Concerns about rights violations, including sexual violence, and the departure of healthcare professionals in rural areas have further strained healthcare delivery. Capacity-building efforts are underway to improve reporting and response to healthcare facility attacks. Meanwhile, disease outbreaks, including measles, polio, cholera, malaria, and dengue, are exacerbated by low vaccination rates (over 30 per cent of children are unvaccinated), poor sanitation, and environmental changes, heightening the public health crisis.

Response Strategy

In 2025, Sudan faces worsening health vulnerabilities due to the combination of armed conflict, economic collapse, and climate change, with vulnerable groups enduring food insecurity, malnutrition, and inadequate access to healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and safe shelter. Women and children are particularly at risk, as low vaccination rates heighten children’s susceptibility to preventable diseases. Empowering local organizations and civil society groups to respond to health crises is vital, alongside enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct. Collaboration between health and WASH clusters will be key to delivering comprehensive care, mitigating disease spread and supporting the most vulnerable communities.

Targeting and Prioritization

The cluster aims to assist 9.4 million people, representing approximately 31 per cent of the total population in need. Partners will focus on ensuring accountability to affected populations. They will emphasize effective leadership and operational and technical support to reduce morbidity and mortality by delivering life-saving health services to people affected by conflict, natural disasters, and acute health emergencies, including outbreaks. This initiative will specifically target vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach areas.

Key objectives include:

• Ensuring access to essential health and nutrition services while integrating them with other critical services, particularly for vulnerable groups. This includes sexual and reproductive health, child and maternal health services, immunizations, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS),
• Strengthening and expanding operational support and logistics to ensure the availability of essential life-saving supplies for those affected,
• Enhancing capacity to prevent, detect, respond to, and mitigate disease outbreaks and other acute health emergencies within the current context.

Additionally, there will be a focus on cross-cluster services and referral mechanisms for GBV case management and measures to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. This will also include efforts to facilitate risk communication and community engagement, especially considering the increasing cases of sexual violence against women and girls.

Cost of Response

To address these urgent humanitarian needs effectively and enhance readiness for emerging public health emergencies, the cluster requires $262.34 million for comprehensive health initiatives to support vulnerable populations. Collaboration with other sectors, especially WASH, nutrition, food security, and protection are essential to improving the overall impact of the response, adopting a holistic approach that addresses immediate physical health issues and communities' mental and social well-being. Additionally, the cluster will actively pursue partnerships with development organizations to facilitate a transition from emergency response to sustainable long-term development solutions, build resilient healthcare systems, improve infrastructure, and empower local communities to better prepare for future crises and enhance their quality of life.