Sudan: Bringing water and healthcare to displaced people in South Kordofan

Bringing healthcare closer to people

Water is only one of the needs displaced families have.

During one visit to the Al-Safa camps, an MSF team met a mother whose daughter was suffering from severe diarrhoea and needed urgent medical care. The team assessed the child and referred her to Abu Jubayhah hospital. Cases like this show how living conditions and health needs can become closely connected for families in the camps.

As teams identified more health needs, they began testing for and treating malaria in Al-Safa camp. Soon, however, patients were arriving with other health conditions, leading us to broaden our medical activities.

At the reception area for newly displaced people in Abu Jubayhah, MSF teams established a clinic. They screen new arrivals for malaria, malnutrition, and maternal health and general health conditions, and refer those who need immediate medical attention. 

MSF also provided logistical support to a multi-antigen catch-up vaccination campaign led by the Ministry of Health, which included measles, rubella, polio, and yellow fever vaccines, alongside other routine vaccinations. Many displaced people also live within the host community and rely on the same basic services.

At Abu Jubayhah General hospital, MSF is strengthening the emergency department through rehabilitation, equipment, medicines, and other essential supplies, while access to more specialised care remains limited.

Rainy season

The rainy season brings further challenges, as unpaved roads make it harder for people to move around and for teams and supplies to reach some locations.

Despite these challenges, something fundamental has changed in daily life in the Al-Safa camps — water is now closer and more reliably available.