Sudan’s Escalating Maternal Health Crisis Amidst Violence and Displacement
As violence continues to ravage Sudan’s South Kordofan state, tens of thousands of people are fleeing, leaving behind homes and livelihoods. Among the most vulnerable are women and newborns, who face a dire healthcare crisis as strained facilities grapple with overwhelming demand and insufficient resources.
At the heart of this crisis is the El-Obeid Maternity Hospital in neighboring North Kordofan, the sole referral hospital in western Sudan. The facility, designed to serve local communities, is now overwhelmed by the needs of over 230,000 displaced people, many of whom are women and girls escaping sexual violence, hunger, and the near-total collapse of healthcare services.
Dr. Hasan Babikir, a physician at the hospital, paints a grim picture. “We had to watch two of the babies die before our eyes,” he said, recounting the tragic death of premature triplets he was unable to treat due to a lack of intensive care beds. The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, opened in early 2026, has only four beds—a woefully inadequate number for the current needs.
The situation is further compounded by severe shortages of basic medical supplies. “There’s a critical lack of surgical equipment, antibiotics, gloves, and sutures,” Dr. Babikir explained. “We’re often forced to purchase these essentials from the market at exorbitant prices.”
The city of El-Obeid itself has not been spared from the violence. Frequent drone attacks have targeted healthcare facilities, killing and injuring both patients and medical staff. These attacks, combined with the influx of displaced people, have stretched the hospital’s resources to breaking point.
Midwife Laila Sarfo described the harrowing conditions in the delivery rooms. “We don’t have tables to place newborns on, nor do we have adequate infection control equipment,” she said. Emergency patients often arrive when all rooms are occupied, sometimes resulting in the loss of the mother or the fetus.
Despite these challenges, healthcare workers are determined to keep providing care. Insaf, a senior midwife, shared that many staff members are paying for essential supplies out of their own pockets. “Women arrive without the means to purchase what they need for delivery, and we cannot turn them away,” she said.
The dedication of these healthcare workers is remarkable. Some midwives are working 24-hour shifts to meet the overwhelming demand, even as their salaries fail to cover basic expenses like transportation or meals.
The broader humanitarian situation in Sudan is equally bleak. Nearly three years of civil war have left over 33 million people in desperate need of aid. The conflict has been marked by horrific sexual violence, kidnappings, and child marriage, with survivors struggling to access safe spaces or healthcare.
In the Al Moaskar Al Mwahhad displacement camp in South Kordofan, UNFPA operates a mobile health clinic and a safe space for women and girls. Salma, a 50-year-old woman sheltering at the camp, spoke of the exhaustion and trauma faced by survivors. “Many crimes have been committed against women, including rape. In this camp, the number of women still with their husbands can be counted on one hand,” she said.
For young girls like 16-year-old Ismailia, the crisis has upended their lives and futures. “I hope to return to my town and my school,” she told UNFPA. “Please allow us to rebuild our home and go back.”
To address the escalating crisis, UNFPA has stepped in with critical support, including installing a solar power system to mitigate power outages, rehabilitating delivery rooms, and deploying skilled health workers. However, the agency warns that much more is needed.
In 2026, UNFPA has appealed for $129 million to continue supporting women and girls in Sudan. So far, only $33 million has been pledged—a fraction of what is required to address the scale of the crisis.
As the violence rages on, the situation in Sudan remains a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of conflict. Healthcare workers like Dr. Babikir and midwife Insaf continue to fight against impossible odds, but without urgent international support, the maternal health crisis will only deepen.
— Reported by Nexio News
