High-level mission to Sudan reaffirms WHO's commitment, calls for urgent action to address and end extreme health and humanitarian crisis

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy yesterday concluded a two-day mission in Port Sudan, where they reaffirmed WHO's commitment to help all Sudanese in need and called on the international community to act urgently to end extreme health condition and humanitarian crisis.

During their visit, Dr. Tedros and Dr. Balkhy met with Sudanese leaders, including Lt. Gen. Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council; Deputy Chairman of the Sudan Sovereignty Council, Dr. Malik Agar; and Federal Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim Awadallah. Discussions focused on the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict and the critical need for uninterrupted humanitarian access to ensure that life-saving aid reaches all those in need, regardless of their location.

“The international community has seemingly forgotten about Sudan and is paying little attention to the conflict that is tearing it apart, with serious consequences for the region,” Dr Tedros said at a press conference held today in Port Sudan. “That's why I came to Sudan. I am here, with my sister Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, to meet with the wide range of partners involved in the response and call for urgent and intensified action to ensure more resources, greater access to humanitarian aid, and more safety for healthcare workers and the patients they serve.”

He added: “We are calling on the world to wake up and help Sudan get out of the nightmare it is living through. … We must not let the people of Sudan down.”

Much of the Sudanese health system has been destroyed by the conflict, with more than 100 attacks on health facilities in more than 500 days of conflict leading to significant casualties among health workers and patients. The insecurity has forced many health workers to flee with their families, exacerbating the shortage of medical personnel. This exodus has further weakened the health system's ability to provide basic services, leaving many Sudanese without access to intensive care.

The high-level WHO mission included a visit to a WHO-supported nutrition stabilization center, where Dr Tedros and Dr Balkhy saw first-hand the impact of the malnutrition crisis gripping Sudan. Currently, 3.6 million children are acutely malnourished, and 730,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated food insecurity, making it increasingly difficult to provide basic food and health services to vulnerable populations.

In an IDP camp, Dr. Tedros and Dr. Balkhy saw the harsh living conditions people face. Camp residents struggle with a lack of food, medicine and clean water, putting them at increased risk of disease outbreaks and other health threats. Daily risks include the threat of gender-based violence, particularly against the estimated four million women and girls who are at risk from the ongoing conflict.

dr. Balkhy emphasized the crucial need to respect the sanctity of health care, in accordance with international humanitarian law. “Sudan's health infrastructure is in ruins, with many facilities destroyed, looted or abandoned. To rebuild and stabilize the health system, significant investment must be made not only in the rehabilitation of facilities but also in strengthening the health workforce,” said Dr. Balkhy. She connected this with a broader economic aspect, noting that without a functional health system, the economic recovery and future stability of Sudan are at risk.

After the mission, Dr. Tedros and Dr. Balkhy emphasized the need for concerted international action – both to promote peace and to provide the necessary short- and long-term assistance. “Our priority is to ensure that every Sudanese in need receives the help they need, wherever they are in the country. This will only be possible through sustainable peace, significant investment in health infrastructure and full, unhindered access to humanitarian efforts across Sudan through all necessary means, including cross-border and cross-border from neighboring countries.

“The only way forward is peace, for which the warring parties themselves bear the greatest responsibility, with the support of the international community. The world must not look away – this crisis requires our immediate and collective response.”

Due to the conflict, around 25 million people – more than half of the country's population – are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 14.7 million require immediate assistance for a range of life-saving assistance, for which the humanitarian sector has requested USD 2.7 billion, less than half of the required funding.

The current lack of WHO funding for the health crisis in Sudan is worrying, with only 24% of WHO's total requested funding received, severely limiting the ability to address the crisis.

The high-level visit also included the inauguration of new WHO office premises in Port Sudan, expanding WHO's ability to reach people affected by the crisis.