The first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan in nearly three years has arrived, restoring lifesaving immunisation services to children and communities that were cut off from medical supplies due to conflict and siege. Two truckloads carrying 18 metric tons of vaccines reached Kadugli town, marking a significant breakthrough for health services in the region.
The delivery included 11 essential routine vaccines such as BCG for tuberculosis, oral polio vaccine, and the pentavalent vaccine protecting against five major childhood diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B. Additional doses covered rotavirus, pneumococcal disease, measles, meningococcal A, inactivated polio, and yellow fever, providing broad protection against preventable and potentially deadly illnesses.
South Kordofan had not received vaccines since July 2023 after a siege blocked humanitarian and medical supplies. As a result, thousands of children were left vulnerable to preventable diseases at a time when malnutrition and displacement were already increasing health risks. The new shipment is expected to support immunisation efforts across five localities, including Kadugli, where famine was confirmed in September 2025. More than 24,500 children are set to receive routine vaccinations this year, along with nearly 6,000 women who will be given tetanus vaccines.
The immunisation effort is funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and other partners. Vaccination services will be delivered through 38 fixed health facilities, 52 outreach sites, and six mobile teams across the state, helping to rebuild routine immunisation systems and reach children who missed vaccines during the siege.
Health officials described the shipment as a critical step in stabilising services but warned that the situation remains fragile. Continued humanitarian access and sustained stability are essential to ensure that these gains are not reversed and that children and families remain protected from preventable diseases. Save the Children, which has operated in Sudan since 1983, continues to support vulnerable communities affected by conflict, displacement, poverty, and hunger, working to safeguard children’s health and rights.
