MSF Sudan: Responding to growing humanitarian and health needs in South Kordofan

01 Sept 2026 - Kordofan has become one of the main frontlines of the conflict in Sudan, with ongoing fighting and shifting frontlines driving growing humanitarian needs across the region. In South Kordofan, humanitarian and health needs continue to grow as the health system remains fragile and new displaced families keep arriving. With the rainy season starting, the risk of disease outbreaks is increasing, especially in displacement sites where access to safe water and sanitation is limited. Al-Safa IDP site, which experienced a major cholera outbreak last year, remains particularly vulnerable. At the same time, measles cases have increased, while many children have missed routine vaccinations because of displacement, insecurity and limited access to healthcare.

To respond to these needs, MSF launched an emergency intervention in Abu Jubeiha in June 2026. The response includes providing safe water to around 900 households in Al-Safa through water trucking, expanding water storage capacity and preparing for the installation of a borehole. MSF is also establishing a medical screening point at the IDP reception site in Abu Jubeiha, improving water and sanitation facilities, and supporting a vaccination campaign with the Ministry of Health. More than 2,500 children have already been vaccinated, with a focus on measles and catch-up routine immunisation. In addition, MSF continues to support emergency services at Abu Jubeiha Hospital as part of its emergency response in South Kordofan.

Women queue at water points in the Al Safa camps in Abu Jubayhah locality, South Kordofan. Jerrycans surround them, waiting to be filled. Until recently, getting water meant walking at least three kilometres. This daily scene is part of a wider reality in Abu Jubayhah, which has become one of the main areas hosting displaced people in South Kordofan. Some live in camps such as Al Safa, while many others have settled within the host community.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 57,880 displaced people are living across 62 locations in Abu Jubayhah, making it the second-largest hosting locality in South Kordofan after Kadugli. Local authorities estimate the true number to be higher.

“When you go to the camps, you see the conditions people are living in, the support available has not kept pace with the number of people who have arrived or the length of time they have been displaced” says Ayşe Bilge Öztürk, MSF project coordinator in Abu Jubayhah. Families live in temporary and semi-permanent shelters, including fabric tents and straw structures covered with plastic, as well as some concrete structures. ​ Some tents are as small as 10 square metres, leaving little space for daily life. Many of those displaced are women and children.

Water: one of the first needs

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began its response in Abu Jubayhah in June 2026. Providing water in the three Al Safa camps were among MSF’s first priorities. At first, water was brought to the camps by truck while teams worked to establish a more sustainable water source. This included drilling a borehole, laying a water network and installing a solar-powered water pump. Teams also repaired latrines and provided cleaning materials. Since the activity began, MSF has provided more than one million litres of water to the community. Families in the camps depend on this water.

Aisha Ahmed, 37, first stayed in a school after being displaced before moving to Al Safa camp. She remembers water as one of their most urgent needs at the time. “Sometimes we would go a whole week without water. Now, after MSF drilled the borehole and extended the network, water is available 24 hours a day.” For Aisha and other displaced people living in the camps, the change was not only about having water available. It also meant no longer having to go so far to collect it. Previously, people had to walk at least three kilometres each day to reach a water source.

Bringing healthcare closer to people

At the reception area for newly displaced people in Abu Jubayhah, MSF teams established a clinic. They screen new arrivals for malaria, malnutrition, 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, including 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.

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