Sudan

About Sudan

The Republic of Sudan is one of the largest countries in Africa, with a population of 45 million largely concentrated in the capital, Khartoum, and neighboring Omdurman. Sudan has experienced recent cycles of conflict that have strained its health systems, including the War in Darfur from 2003-2020, which led to widespread displacement, disease, and hunger. Three years after a peace agreement was signed in Darfur, Sudan is again facing another humanitarian emergency due to civil conflict that broke out in April 2023.

>> Read Project HOPE’s latest situation report on Sudan here.

Challenges

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been in a violent civil conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that displaced at least 3.5 million people and devastated the nation’s health system. While the true human toll of the war has been difficult to confirm, news outlets report that thousands of people have died in West Darfur alone. The violence has left Sudan’s health system on the brink of collapse. It has become extremely difficult to provide medicine and supplies to those in need, and now half of Sudan’s population — 24.7 million people —requires urgent humanitarian support.

Reports of rape, sexual violence, and abuse have increased significantly since the start of the conflict, with approximately 4.2 million women and girls at an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV). Health workers and facilities are also being targeted: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sudan Doctors Union have reported at least 53 attacks on facilities since April 2023, and at least 21 health workers have been killed.

Many health facilities that have not been bombed have been occupied and looted, creating widespread shortages of medicines and medical supplies. The Health Cluster team in Sudan, coordinated by WHO, has reported that 75% of Khartoum’s health facilities are non-functional.

Our Impact

In October 2023, Project HOPE, Airlink and key partners, including MAP International, Flexport.org, Astral Aviation, and Qatar Airways, successfully coordinated the delivery of $13 million (24,000 pounds) worth of vital medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, hygiene supplies, and therapeutic food to Sudan. The Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) and Project HOPE will oversee the distribution of the shipment, ensuring that hospitals and health facilities facing the most critical shortages receive the supplies necessary to continue their vital work in treating patients.

The shipment includes essential medical supplies, ranging from syringes, gauze, and wound care items to medications, including antibiotics, antiparasitics, and pain relievers. Additionally, it includes prenatal vitamins, oral rehydration tablets, hygiene supplies, and protective equipment. Recognizing the exacerbated food insecurity across the entire Horn of Africa due to prolonged drought, the shipment also incorporates therapeutic food. The shipment will support over 100,000 people across Sudan where communities are grappling with under-resourced health facilities and cholera and dengue outbreaks.

The delivery came just days after one of Sudan’s only functioning hospitals — Omdurman’s Al-Nau Hospital — was attacked, resulting in three civilian deaths and multiple injuries. In August 2023, Project HOPE delivered two Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHKs) to Al-Nau Hospital. The IEHKs had enough medical supplies to serve the primary health care needs of 20,000 people for up to three months.

Project HOPE also supported the local organization Nada Elazhar for Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development (NADA), which provided support for internally displaced people (IDPs), Sudanese communities experiencing an influx of IDPs, and refugees looking to leave the country entirely.

NADA provided support to displaced families and refugees in North Darfur State and Northern State through comprehensive case management, counseling, provision of medications, and referral services to higher-level care.

NADA also activated a hotline to reach sexual violence and GBV survivors and provided psychosocial support services remotely in coordination with the United Nations Population Fund. NADA personnel were able to provide support in Amharic, Tigre, Tigrinya, Arabic, and English.

Additionally, NADA provided Psychological First Aid training to health workers in Kassala and West Nile States, both of which saw high numbers of IDPs. NADA also held information sessions for IDPs on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and created social media posts for North Darfur State’s Information Department.

NADA launched and completed four public information campaigns in Al-Fashir, Zalingei, and Jebel Marra, focusing on GBV, EORE, and child protection. In addition to in-person sessions, an estimated 125,000 people were reached via radio messages across Sudan in the first two weeks of July.

Even prior to this conflict, Sudan was home to a dire humanitarian situation. The country’s health system was already stretched thin due to a lack of skilled health workers and inconsistent access in rural areas, which contributed to high child and maternal mortality rates and an increased number of deaths from infectious disease outbreaks. The current crisis has only exacerbated these challenges.

Our History in Sudan

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Project HOPE facilitated online training for more than 1,200 health workers and 14,000 community members on mental health and COVID-19 response training.