Sudan's healthcare system on brink of collapse after cuts, medical charity warns

What the report says

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says Sudan’s health system is under severe pressure as global aid cuts force clinics and hospitals to shut, leaving millions with fewer places to get treatment. In a report highlighted by BBC Africa, the charity said the problem has intensified after the United States, previously the biggest donor to Sudan, closed USAID last year, while some European governments also reduced assistance.

The warning comes as Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, continues to drive one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. MSF said more than 33 million people need medical help, and that when funding disappears from frontline services, patients are pushed toward overstretched hospitals, often after long and difficult journeys. In central Darfur, the charity said admissions at facilities it supports rose in early 2026, while dozens of health centres stopped receiving funding.

BBC Africa also reported examples from camps in Gedaref state, where maternity and surgical services have closed and remaining care is limited. MSF said this has placed extra strain on the organisations still operating. The charity urged leaders meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York to restore support, warning that without more funding, people will face longer travel times, fewer treatment options and higher risk of reaching care too late.

The article also noted broader insecurity around health services, with attacks on medical facilities continuing during the conflict and severe food insecurity affecting millions across Sudan.