Remarks by Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative to Sudan
Media briefing at the Palais des Nations
10 February 2026, Geneva - In 2 months from now, we will mark 3 years of war in Sudan. A grim milestone. The war has caused the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with violence, displacement, hunger and disease. And inevitably, death.
Over 33.7 million people – two-thirds of the population – require humanitarian assistance, and about 21 million people require health assistance. With 13.6 million people displaced due to the war, Sudan remains the largest displacement crisis in the world. 9.1 million of these are displaced within Sudan and 4.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries. The newly displaced populations, including returnees, require urgent health interventions which the weakened health system is unable to cope with.
The health system has been ravaged by attacks, loss and damage of equipment and supplies, a shortage of health workforce, and operational funds.
- Since the start of the war, WHO has verified 205 attacks on healthcare, that have led to 1924 deaths and 529 injuries.
- Each year, the attacks on healthcare grow deadlier.
- In 2023, 64 attacks led to 38 deaths.
- In 2024, 72 attacks led to 200 deaths.
- In 2025, 65 attacks caused 1620 deaths. (82% of reported death from attacks on healthcare globally).
- In the first 40 days of 2026, 4 attacks led to 66 deaths.
- Such attacks deprive communities of care for years to come, instilling terror in patients and health workers and creating insurmountable barriers to life-saving treatment
The country, meanwhile, is facing multiple disease outbreaks--including cholera, malaria, dengue, measles, in addition to malnutrition and other life-threatening conditions.
WHO is supporting the response to these outbreaks through disease surveillance, deployment of rapid response teams, strengthening case management, infection prevention and control, improving access to water and hygiene, water quality testing and vector control, community mobilization, and vaccinations.
In 2025, WHO has reached millions of people with supported health interventions.
More than 12 million people were protected with oral cholera vaccines.
Malaria vaccines introduced in two states in 2024 were scaled up to two more states and additional localities to protect close to 220,000 children from severe malaria.
WHO and supported partners provided care to up to 6 million people at hospitals, primary health care facilities and mobile clinics. This has been complemented with community-based interventions to prevent and control disease outbreaks.
Almost 920 metric tons of critical medicines and supplies were distributed to all 18 states, including through crossline and cross-border operations for hard-to-reach areas like Darfur and Kordofan.
Malnutrition is widespread with children, pregnant and breastfeeding women bearing the brunt. The recent IPC Alert warns that malnutrition continues to deteriorate in 2026, with nearly 4.2 million estimated cases compared to 3.7 million in 2025. In 2025 alone, close to 44,000 children with severe acute malnutrition with medical complications were admitted to 148 stabilization centres across Sudan. WHO works closely with these stabilization centres. We deliver essential supplies, build capacity, provide technical expertise and assist in care for mothers of patients – giving them space to care for their critically ill children.
WHO is on the ground in all accessible states, responding to the most pressing needs, but we still face severe access constraints and funding shortfalls. We call on humanitarian and development partners and donors – whose generosity has remained a lifeline for Sudan’s people – to stand with us. We especially need resources to keep up the supply chain of essential medicines and medical supplies which has been severely impacted in the past year.
We call for the protection of health care in line with International Humanitarian Law. Patients, health workers, healthcare facilities and health assets must be protected from attacks. Patients and health care workers should not risk death while seeking and providing care.
Above all, we call for peace. Peace is long overdue for Sudan.
Note to media
TIME FRAME:
- 124,418 cholera cases and 3573 deaths from 18 states since July 2024
- 9 million cases of malaria from 15 states since 2025
- over 63,000 cases of dengue from 14 states since 2025
There are also reports of measles, diphtheria, pertussis, cVDPV2 polio, and Hepatitis E – vaccine-preventable diseases that are spreading due to the breakdown of routine immunization constrained by limited access and population movement.
