2026 will mark three years of war in Sudan — a war that has devastated cities, collapsed essential services, and forced millions of people to flee. Among them are our Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) colleagues, who make daily efforts to sustain hope while facing the impact on a personal level.
Each of our Sudanese colleagues has lost something because of the war: from loved ones, relatives, and friends, and the lives they built, to everyday routines, achievements, and peace of mind. Every single day, they go to work to help others whose lives have also been stripped of almost everything dear to them.
Since April 2023, Sudan has endured a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fighting has forced more than 13 million people to flee their homes and has led to the collapse of essential services. An estimated 25 million people are now food insecure according to the UN, and many are suffering from malnutrition. Civilians, including children, have been victims of attacks, ethnically motivated atrocities, kidnappings, torture, and sexual violence.
Our Sudanese colleagues are the pillars that sustain MSF’s work in the country, with over 1,470 locally hired staff and 5,500 Ministry of Health staff receiving our support. We asked our colleagues to tell us what the war has taken from them and what motivates them to continue working despite these losses. Their stories show how the conflict affects not only those seeking care, but also those providing it.
Dr. Al Tayeb, surgeon in Tawila
"The shelling could start at any moment"
Dr. Altayeb, an orthopedic surgeon in North Darfur, fled El Fasher and arrived at Tawila Hospital one week before the RSF fully took over the city. In the months leading up to his escape with his family, the comfortable life he and his wife had built for themselves had become unbearable. “There was a great danger because the shelling could start at any moment,” he says.
Sondos, maternity ward staff in West Darfur
“The war took away my greatest achievement"
The first thing the war took away from Sondos was the chance to graduate.
“When the war started, I was in my final year, but my university closed and never reopened,” says Sondos, who comes from El Geneina, West Darfur. “The war took away my greatest achievement.” Without a certificate, she cannot work as a nurse, so she works as a medical interpreter at El Geneina Teaching Hospital.
Hagwa, maternity ward staff in West Darfur
“Our home is no longer safe"
Hagwa, a Ministry of Health nurse financially supported by MSF, works with Sondos in the maternity ward. Hagwa says that one of the main losses caused by the conflict is the erosion of trust within the community. “Families have also been separated and scared,” she explains. “Our home is no longer safe.”
Dr. Al Douri, epidemiologist in Khartoum
“Don't stop talking about Sudan"
When the war erupted, Dr. Al Douri was forcibly displaced from Khartoum, his home city. When he returned, he found his home in ruins and himself among the millions of Sudanese who had lost everything. Now, at Bashair Teaching Hospital, he sees “pain and despair” in every patient.
Dr. Al Douri also works in camps, where he meets families who have traveled for days to reach safety. “Many arrive in an advanced state of malnutrition and disease,” he says. He describes the ongoing crisis as a staggering blow to a “peaceful and very welcoming” people.
Hanan, community mental health worker in Tawila
“These children cannot survive without the help of NGOs"
In Tawila, Hanan stands as a daily witness to a tragedy that defies words. Since the displacement began, she has seen horror marked on bodies and minds. She witnesses the trauma women experience, including the deep trauma of sexual assault.
But in the heart of this chaos, another crisis haunts her: the children left behind. “We often find children abandoned,” she explains. These little ones are among of her greatest motivations.
Zoubeida, midwife in North Darfur
“I would never have left El Fasher if I didn’t have to"
For Zoubeida, the war in Sudan was a journey of survival. Originally from Zamzam, she was forced to flee when the peace she knew shattered. “I would never have left El Fasher if I didn’t have to,” she says.
The long trek across Darfur was exhausting and painful. Upon arrival, she was a refugee in need, finding relief through NGOs that provided food and water.
Due to the commitment and steadfastness of our Sudanese colleagues, in 2025, MSF carried out more than 720,000 outpatient consultations, attended almost 200,000 emergency consultations, performed more than 1,800 surgical interventions, assisted with nearly 24,000 deliveries, provided more than 3,100 consultations for sexual violence, and offered more than 8,500 mental health consultations. Our teams currently work in eight states in Sudan, providing independent and impartial emergency medical care based solely on people’s needs.
