17-23 May 2026 Sudan News Summary: vaccinations administered and a vital road reopens, while life slowly returns to Khartoum

24 May

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Wednesday that its teams, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, vaccinated approximately 56,000 children in the southern Jebel Marra region of Central Darfur between April 1 and 6. This was part of an emergency campaign to contain a measles outbreak.
The campaign followed a measles outbreak earlier this year in the region, which was exacerbated by the disruption of routine immunisation programs due to conflict, displacement, and limited access, as well as a shortage of vaccines.
In a statement, MSF explained that due to the lack of roads and the rugged terrain in these remote areas, teams had to transport vaccines on camels, while health workers used donkeys to cross the mountains to reach isolated villages.
The campaign achieved 97% coverage of its target, contributing to curbing the spread of measles in one of the most isolated regions of Sudan.
Large areas of Darfur are suffering from a measles outbreak among children, exacerbated by a shortage of vaccines. Doctors attribute the outbreak to the interruption of routine immunisation campaigns in recent years due to the war.

The UN said its partners have begun using a vital road linking North and South Kordofan, after it was reopened on Monday, following months of disruption caused by fighting and insecurity.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told the daily press briefing on Tuesday that their partners have started using the road to transport medical and other life-saving supplies to Dilling, where humanitarian needs have increased due to shortages of food, medicine, and basic supplies, while emphasising that the security situation along the road remains unstable.
The SAF and their supporting forces announced the reopening of the Dilling-Habila road after capturing the Takma area last Monday.

By Samuel Hunt

Refugees and displaced residents, many of whom fled more than three years ago, are returning cautiously to the Sudanese capital, as official statements about life returning to normal often clash with the realities on the ground.
Wealthy districts and those in the centre of the city remain quiet and often in ruins, while life is returning to other areas, particularly those which were less impacted by the fighting in the first year of the war.
The decision to return is influenced by several factors, including income, children’s education, healthcare services, and confidence in ongoing security and stability.
There is a growing supply of homes for sale, with eastern districts attracting the highest demand from buyers.

Bill Greenwood