Inside South Darfur: Medical care amid a humanitarian desert

Tagadin A. (7) was admitted to Nyala Teaching Hospital because of a chest infection. Because of complications they kept him overnight and test him on tuberculosis. He is acompagnied by his mother Aisha H. (25). They lived in East Darfur but had to flee because of the war. Now they live in the Belel IDP camp. The situation there is not good for living, but they have no other place to go. Nurse Alawya Hamad is checking on this venous access.

In Sudan, people face repeated disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence, and major gaps in basic and emergency care.

MSF provides both primary and secondary health care. Teams offer care for mothers and children, nutrition treatment, vaccinations, outbreak response, and wound care. They also support survivors of sexual violence and help with water and sanitation.

The team visited Nyala Teaching Hospital, Al Salam Camp, Kalma 1 Camp, and health posts in the Jebel Marra region.

The ongoing conflict has now reached its fourth year, and this prolonged violence has led to a wide range of significant and concerning consequences for the country and its people. The situation has evolved over time, affecting many aspects of daily life and creating challenges that continue to be felt throughout the region.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands have been killed, millions have been forced from home, and many others live amid violence, danger, and the collapse of essential services.

Health centres have been damaged, looted, or abandoned. As a result, vaccination programmes, disease tracking, and food distribution have been badly disrupted.

Zeinab R. (41) was forced to flee with her family and is seeking refuge in Lugi, in the Jebel Marra mountain region.

Zeinab fled Khartoum. As the war made living conditions increasingly difficult, she no longer saw a future for herself there. She first sought refuge in South Sudan, but life there was also very hard. Without her family, she felt alone and uprooted, and was unable to truly settle. So she continued on to Darfur, hoping to be reunited with her family. Life remains difficult there as well. Zeinab is ill and made the long journey to Turong Tonga to receive medication. Still, she is grateful that she and her children are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She has found a place to sleep and is surrounded by people who support her. “The difficult times will pass one day, and I hold on to the hope that life will become easier again.”

In South Darfur, MSF provides a comprehensive range of health services essential for the well-being of the communities affected by the ongoing crisis. These services include primary and secondary health care, outpatient and emergency care, maternal and child health care, and 24/7 delivery services. Additionally, MSF addresses critical nutrition needs through treatment programmes for children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women, while also offering vaccinations and outbreak response services.

Access to health care in South Darfur is challenging due to a multitude of factors. Ongoing violence, displacement, and the collapse of essential services have severely limited the availability of health care. Many health centres have been damaged, looted, or abandoned, disrupting vital vaccination programs, disease tracking, and food distribution efforts.

In Al Salam Camp, MSF specifically supports women and children by providing crucial maternal care, nutrition treatment, and family planning services, alongside confidential care for survivors of sexual violence. Similarly, in Kalma 1 Camp, it operates a women's clinic that offers antenatal and postnatal care, delivery services, and vaccinations for children under two, ensuring that the specific health needs of the community are met.

MSF Teams unload supply for the pharmacy stock. MSF Driver Abu Ahmad supports the pharmacy team with the unloading. He delivered medicines, emergency backpack kits and mosquito nets among other things.

Medical laboratory operator and manager of quality control Abu Harira conducts tests on patients’ blood samples in the laboratory of Nyala Teaching Hospital.

Mada A. (25) was referred to the MSF primary healthcare centre in Al Salam refugee camp with her 21 month old daughter Eman N. The MSF team checks on the girl. They weight and measure the girl and measure her upper arm circumference. The girl is malnourished and the team recommends a referral to the Nyala Teaching Hospital for further treatment. The mother is very worried. MSF nurse Wubejig Eshetu measures the child’s mid-upper arm circumference using a MUAC tape while the child is being breastfed by its mother.

The situation in Jebel Marra is particularly dire, as the region experiences high health needs with very limited access. MSF runs a primary health care center in Torung Tonga and supports four locally operated health facilities, yet major barriers remain for communities seeking consistent care.

To reach communities in the Jebel Marra mountains, the MSF team uses a donkey fleet. This is necessary when roads are unsafe due to conflict or impassable for vehicles. The donkey fleet allows our teams to deliver medical staff and supplies to remote locations.

To reach the communities in the mountainous region of Jebel Marra, the MSF team also uses a donkey fleet. This helps, if roads cannot be passed because of unsafety due to the active conflict or if the roads are not passable with cars. The donkey fleet enables our teams to bring medical staff and supplies to remote areas. MSF health promotion officer Mohammed Sulieman and vaccination officer Ruhaya Abulgazim are on their way to the Lugi health post by donkey to provide the population with health care.

Bakhita H. (32) was referred to Nyala Teaching Hospital with her 19-month-old son Abdelrahim. Abdelrahim is malnourished and gets treatment in the hospital. Bakhita is happy, that the boy accepts to eat Plumpy Nut. MSF Medical Doctor Khawla Adam Musa is watching closely and checks the progress of the boy.

Unfortunately, the response in Sudan remains insufficient. Despite the severity and widespread nature of the crisis, the response continues to be inadequate, leaving many people vulnerable to disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence, and displacement, with significant gaps in both basic and emergency health care services.

People in South Darfur still face violence, displacement, disease outbreaks, and limited access to care. The response in remains far from enough. Staff continue to work in very hard conditions, and many are also affected by the war.While communities have displayed remarkable resilience, the prolonged crisis is having a significant impact.

Mohammad Sulieman, health promotion officer and his colleague Paula Andrea Silva Machado, midwife activity manager.

Inside South Darfur: Medical care amid a humanitarian desert

Inside South Darfur: Medical care amid a humanitarian desert

In Sudan, people face repeated disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence, and major gaps in basic and emergency care.

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