19-25 April 2026 Sudan News Summary: near-total collapse of medical services and returnees' struggle for survival

Written By Bill Greenwood

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

Measles outbreak claims children's lives in North Darfur amidst complete immunisation shortage

  • The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur revealed on Saturday an alarming surge in measles cases in North Darfur State, amid a severe shortage of medicine and a collapse of healthcare services.

  • The measles outbreak in North Darfur coincides with an unprecedented decline in healthcare services in the region, as the ongoing conflict has disrupted immunisation programs and forced many health centres to close.

  • The spread of measles comes amidst a near-total collapse of health facilities, exacerbating the crisis, particularly among children, who are the most vulnerable.

  • The Coordination appealed to health and humanitarian organisations, especially the WHO and UNICEF, for urgent intervention to contain the disease and provide vaccines and treatment to save children's lives.

From: Sudan Tribune

Eleven tuberculosis patients die in Kadugli, South Kordofan

  • Eleven patients died from tuberculosis in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, during the first quarter of this year, amid a near-total collapse of medical services and the closure of the specialised TB ward several months ago, according to medical sources.

  • A medical source stated that the deaths recorded since the beginning of the year are directly linked to a shortage of treatment, explaining that the available medications are limited to dual therapy and in quantities insufficient to meet the needs of adult and child patients.

  • The source revealed that cesarean sections have been suspended since last November due to a shortage of anaesthesia and the displacement of obstetricians and gynaecologists, forcing pregnant women to travel long distances through rugged roads and conflict zones to states such as North Kordofan and White Nile to undergo the procedure.

  • The source also noted that the dialysis center has been out of service since last year due to the displacement of staff, the depletion of dialysis solutions, and frequent power outages, leaving between 10 and 11 patients without any treatment alternatives.

  • The source added that the contamination of the city's drinking water, with its high levels of mineral deposits, further complicates the health situation and contributes to the disease outbreak

  • Amid this deterioration, the source explained that only one general practitioner remains in Kadugli: Ibrahim Kamil, who returned to work as a volunteer after years of absence, providing his services with the help of a limited number of health workers.

From: Sudan24

English news roundup

By Samuel Hunt

Sudanese returnees face "new struggle for survival" as war grinds into its fourth year

  • The UN's IOM reports that nearly 4 million displaced Sudanese have voluntarily returned home, mainly to Khartoum and Gezira, only to find homes, water supplies, health provision and electricity "heavily damaged", with farmers returning to destroyed irrigation systems.

  • Nearly 9 million people remain internally displaced inside Sudan, with the IOM's $170m 2026 Sudan crisis response plan underfunded by $97.2m as humanitarian needs continue to outpace resources.

  • Chatham House awarded its 2025 Prize on 26 March to Sudan's volunteer-led Emergency Response Rooms, a 26,000-strong grassroots network that has been "the difference between life and death" for many Sudanese, delivering food, water and medical aid across all 18 states despite attacks from both warring sides.

Sources: UN News, Al Jazeera, Chatham House

Bill Greenwood
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