At least 23 children have reportedly died in a severe measles outbreak in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, as shortages of essential medicines and the collapse of healthcare services leave more children fighting for their lives, a local emergency response group said.
The Dar Hamar Emergency Response Room said on Saturday that the deaths were recorded in the Bolad area, in the western countryside of Al-Nuhud locality, where medical facilities are struggling to respond to the growing health emergency.
According to the group, several other children remain in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could increase unless urgent medical assistance reaches affected communities.
The group’s medical committee said it was closely monitoring developments and examining the circumstances surrounding the children’s deteriorating conditions, including the medicines and vaccines administered.
It said further investigation was necessary to determine the causes of the deaths and establish whether any medical treatments or vaccination procedures played a role.
The reported deaths come amid a worsening public health emergency across Sudan, where more than three years of conflict have severely disrupted vaccination programmes, damaged healthcare infrastructure and restricted access to lifesaving treatment.
The World Health Organization warned earlier this year that measles and several other infectious diseases were spreading across Sudan, including in the conflict-affected Kordofan and Darfur regions.
According to UNICEF, measles vaccination coverage in Sudan had fallen to just 46 percent in 2024, leaving large numbers of children vulnerable to preventable infections.
Health organisations have repeatedly warned that outbreaks are particularly dangerous in communities affected by malnutrition, displacement and limited access to medical care.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause severe complications, including pneumonia, dehydration and death, particularly among young children. Vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing the disease.
The latest deaths in West Kordofan underscore the growing risks facing children in areas where insecurity and the breakdown of essential health services continue to obstruct humanitarian assistance.
