WHO chief urges unrestricted access across Sudan as war surpasses 1,000 days

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Tuesday called for unrestricted and safe access to all areas of Sudan in order to restore access to health services, as civil war in the country surpassed 1,000 days.

"WHO calls for unrestricted and safe access to all areas of Sudan to restore access to health services," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing in Geneva.

He warned that continuous violence has devastated the country. "Last Friday marked one-thousand days of Sudan's civil war. Almost three years of continuous violence have turned Sudan into the worst humanitarian crisis globally," he said.

According to Tedros, an estimated 33.7 million people will need humanitarian aid this year, while 13.6 million people are displaced, making Sudan "the largest displacement crisis" in the world.

He stressed that poor living conditions, overcrowding, lack of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and a breakdown of routine immunization are fueling disease outbreaks.

WHO is supporting the response to outbreaks of cholera, dengue, malaria and measles, he said, but added that the health system itself has been severely damaged.

"Just when the people of Sudan need it most, the health system has been severely damaged, through attacks on health care, lack of essential medical supplies, and shortages of health workers and funding," Tedros said.

Despite efforts to restore services, "more than one third of health facilities remain non-functional," he added.

The WHO chief also called for the protection of civilians, including health and humanitarian workers and patients, and urged all parties to end the conflict.

"As always, the best medicine is peace," he concluded.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.