As the war in Sudan enters its 32nd month, concerns are growing over women’s health across the country, particularly due to the lack of sexual and reproductive healthcare services, which have diminished as a result of shrinking aid and funding. With more than 70 percent of hospitals out of service—and the few that still operate suffering from acute shortages of medicine and medical supplies—access to reproductive healthcare has become nearly unattainable.
Sudan’s Humanitarian Response Plan, which requires $4.8 billion to assist 20.9 million people, is severely underfunded. This threatens reproductive and sexual health services in 15 of the country’s 18 states, impacting 1.2 million women of reproductive age, 120,000 pregnant women, and 24,000 survivors of sexual violence.
The suspension of U.S. support linked to grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis to unprecedented levels.
Fears and Challenges
According to a report by the Health Cluster and the World Health Organization (WHO), “the reduction in funding has placed sexual and reproductive health services in 15 states at risk.”
The report noted that “the funding freeze continues to affect Health Cluster partners and their ability to provide care, directly impacting 13 partners, 1.5 million people directly, and an additional 5 million indirectly as support to 335 health facilities is gradually suspended.”
The report stressed that these cuts affect “1.2 million women of reproductive age, 120,000 pregnant women, and 24,000 survivors of sexual violence.” Mobile clinics and essential healthcare facilities have been suspended or closed, including in hard-to-reach areas and refugee-hosting regions such as the Tunaydbah camp in Gedaref.
International organizations specializing in health have expressed deep concern that reproductive and sexual health services may cease in 15 out of Sudan’s 18 states due to the funding shortfall.
Urgent Interventions
Sudan’s Minister of Health, Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim, stated that “reproductive health and maternal care require urgent interventions in light of the war and the attacks by the Rapid Support Forces.” He said that a 2025 strategic plan has been drafted, requiring more than $200 million from the government and international partners.
He noted that the maternal mortality rate has reached 295 deaths per 100,000 live births, emphasizing the need for focused care and coordinated efforts among global health organizations and donors to reduce maternal deaths.
Crises and Loss of Life
According to the World Health Organization, reproductive health encompasses healthcare for women of reproductive age, including treatment, nutrition, and pre- and post-natal care. It goes far beyond family planning alone.
Reproductive health specialist Iman Mahjoub stated that the expanding conflict across several Sudanese states has paralyzed organizations supporting reproductive and sexual health services, especially amid growing need for medical supplies and mobile clinics in conflict zones and displacement areas.
She added that women and girls are increasingly deprived of their basic right to health services and psychosocial support, leading to rising deaths in multiple areas across the country.
Mahjoub explained that health facilities have been bombed or destroyed, while others have closed due to severe shortages of medicine and insecurity. She warned that displaced women in shelters face heightened risks due to shortages of medical personnel and essential medicines.
Risks and Alternatives
Obstetrics and gynecology specialist Magdy Younis reported deaths among pregnant women and girls resulting from infections, high blood pressure, and severe hemorrhage—conditions that could not be treated due to the absence of medical support.
He added that the limited number of functioning hospitals and clinics has severely affected reproductive health in more than 10 Sudanese states. High-risk pregnancies now account for 15 percent of total pregnancies, while nearly 20 percent of women suffer from anemia during and after pregnancy.
These indicators, he noted, have led many Sudanese women to avoid pregnancy altogether for fear of complications or death, while others resort to family planning methods to space pregnancies.
Younis warned that many women are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions, increasing the risk of complications and sepsis—a life-threatening condition resulting from the body’s extreme response to infection.
Deepening Crisis
In South Darfur, Director of Reproductive Health Tayba Bukhit stated that the war has devastated the Ministry of Health’s resources due to widespread looting, arson, and destruction of facilities.
She explained that before the war, the ministry operated 164 facilities providing maternal and reproductive healthcare. This number has since fallen to just 44. Likewise, the number of rural maternity and child-health hospitals has dropped from 14 to only seven, with limited capacity.
Bukhit added that surveys conducted in displacement camps revealed a rise in maternal deaths, but broader assessment remains impossible due to ongoing fighting, lack of transportation, and internet shutdowns.
