Sudan’s Darfur in Crisis as Measles Outbreak Claims Dozens Amid Health System Collapse
Story: written by Zara April 27,2026
A worsening measles outbreak in East Darfur, Sudan, has left communities devastated, with around 70 deaths recorded in recent weeks as war, displacement, and the collapse of healthcare services deepen the humanitarian crisis.
In Labado, East Darfur, families are mourning children lost to a disease that is normally preventable. One mother, Hawa Adam, lost her two-year-old son, Ali, shortly after he developed symptoms in late February. She said she never imagined measles could be fatal, blaming the lack of vaccines and medical support in the area.
Across several neighbourhoods in Labado, health workers and local crisis coordinators report that the outbreak has infected nearly 1,000 people in a population of about 12,000, including displaced families who fled conflict.
However, state health officials dispute these figures, reporting significantly fewer cases and deaths, while confirming that measles has spread across multiple districts in East Darfur.
Medical services have been severely disrupted by ongoing conflict, with many doctors leaving the region and health facilities struggling to operate. Vaccines reportedly arrived late via aid routes, and a delayed immunisation campaign has only recently begun.
According to the World Health Organization, measles spreads rapidly through airborne transmission and can be deadly, especially for young and malnourished children. Treatment is limited, and care depends heavily on access to functioning health centres and essential medicines—both of which are now scarce in many parts of Darfur.
Local health volunteers say the outbreak was first noticed during routine community visits, where they discovered widespread infection in households. Many families reported being unable to access medication due to shortages and high costs, forcing some to rely on traditional remedies.
In several cases, multiple deaths have occurred within the same extended families, highlighting how quickly the virus is spreading through close-knit communities.
Residents describe long journeys in search of treatment, often only to find empty pharmacies or overwhelmed clinics. Some children have only survived after traveling dozens of kilometres to access basic care.
International agencies, including UNICEF, have warned that vaccination rates in the region have dropped sharply due to insecurity, displacement, and damaged infrastructure. Routine immunisation coverage has fallen well below safe levels, raising fears of further outbreaks.
UNICEF says emergency vaccination campaigns are being rolled out across parts of Darfur, targeting hundreds of thousands of children, but access remains limited in conflict-affected areas like East Darfur.
For many families, however, the assistance has come too late. In grieving households across Labado, parents continue to bury children lost to a disease that medical experts say should have been preventable.
As one mother put it: “Those without access to medicine are the ones dying here.
