Mass Clinic Closures Push Sudan's Healthcare System to the Brink of Collapse
Khartoum, 9 September 2026
Over a third of Sudan’s health facilities are now completely non-operational following severe international funding cuts, including the withdrawal of US aid, leaving millions without healthcare.
A Devastating Confluence of Conflict and Funding Withdrawals
The ongoing civil war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has precipitated one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises [1][2][4]. The conflict has resulted in at least 59,000 fatalities and has displaced approximately 14 million people both internally and across international borders [4], although some estimates place the displacement figure at over 11 million [2]. This prolonged instability directly impacts more than 33 million people [1], leaving them highly vulnerable as security conditions continue to deteriorate. Just yesterday, on 8 September 2026, a drone attack targeting a court complex in the army-controlled town of Umm Ruwaba in North Kordofan claimed at least 11 lives, highlighting the persistent threat to civilian safety [1].
The Impact of International Aid Cuts
This volatile security landscape is compounded by an unprecedented retreat in global humanitarian financing. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), historically the primary donor to Sudan, closed its operations in the country in 2025, with existing grants systematically expiring by June 2026 [1][3][5]. This withdrawal coincides with a broader global trend where international aid from European Union institutions fell by 13.8 per cent [5] and overall global humanitarian aid dropped by 35.8 per cent year-over-year [4][5]. Consequently, dozens of humanitarian organisations have been unable to secure alternative funding, forcing the widespread closure of essential clinics and leaving the remaining medical infrastructure severely strained [1][3][4].
The Direct Toll on Refugee Camps and Host Communities
The reduction in aid has had an immediate, tangible impact on refugee populations and the host communities that support them. In Gedaref state, the Tanedba camp—home to 18,400 displaced people—lost its maternity and surgical services in June 2026 following the departure of a humanitarian organisation [1][3][5]. Pregnant women requiring emergency caesarean sections are now forced to undertake a arduous three-hour journey to access surgical delivery [1][3][5]. While Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF) has committed to operating the camp’s emergency room until 31 December 2026, this temporary measure cannot fully bridge the gap [3][5]. Meanwhile, at the nearby Um Rakuba camp, which shelters approximately 17,000 predominantly female and young refugees, the number of active aid agencies has plummeted from 35 in 2021 to fewer than 10 in September 2026 [1][3][5], representing a decline of at least 71.429 per cent in operating partners.
A Shared Crisis for Refugees and Locals
This contraction of services does not only affect refugees; it severely impacts local Sudanese host communities who rely on the same infrastructure. Fabrizio Locuratolo, MSF’s humanitarian affairs manager at Um Rakuba, has emphasised that the remaining hospital is now the sole lifeline for both the refugee population and local residents [3][5]. The funding crisis extends far beyond clinical healthcare, as shrinking food rations and dismantled protection programmes pull away the last remaining safety nets, leaving both communities highly exposed to deprivation and disease [3][5]. With approximately 37 per cent of Sudan’s health facilities now completely non-operational [3][4][5] and the UN’s $2.87 billion humanitarian response plan remaining 59 per cent unfunded [3][5], the funding deficit represents 1.693 billion USD [3][5].
Escalating Medical Pressure and Malnutrition in Darfur
As local clinics close, patients are forced to travel further, arriving at remaining facilities in much more critical conditions [1][5]. In Central Darfur, patient admissions at MSF-supported facilities in Zalingei and Rokero rose by 22.5 per cent between January and April 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 [1][3][5]. This surge occurred just before 45 general healthcare centres in Central Darfur ceased operations in May 2026 due to funding deficits [1][3][5]. In Hamidiya displacement camp, daily patient visits at a key health centre dropped from 200 to just 40 after international support was withdrawn [5], shifting immense pressure onto the sole remaining 200-bed hospital in Tawila, which serves a displaced population of 600,000 [5].
Rising Malnutrition Rates
The collapse of healthcare services is occurring alongside severe food insecurity. Earlier this year, the UN reported that 19.5 million people in Sudan faced crisis-level hunger, with over 5 million experiencing emergency levels of hunger [1][3][5]. In August 2026, MSF’s inpatient feeding centre in Tawila admitted 191 severely malnourished children under the age of five, with approximately 22 per cent also testing positive for malaria [3][5]. As the peak rainy season intensifies, medical teams expect malaria and malnutrition cases to rise further [5]. Without immediate, flexible funding from international donors to protect essential wartime health services, millions of vulnerable individuals will continue to face longer journeys, fewer treatment options, and a heightened risk of arriving too late for life-saving care [1][3][5].