Sudan health supplies at risk as Iran war disrupts shipments

Medical supplies at clinics in Sudan could run out within weeks due to disruptions linked to the US and Israeli war with Iran, Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies reported on 17 March.

Around $600,000 worth of medicines are currently stranded in ports in Dubai after shipping routes were disrupted. The delays follow airspace closures and reduced maritime traffic linked to the conflict.

About 90 government-run clinics serving roughly 400,000 people rely on the shipments, with no alternative supply available inside Sudan. The medicines include antibiotics, antimalarials, pain and fever treatment and paediatric injectable drugs.

Save the Children’s global supply chain director, Willem Zuidema, said stocks could be exhausted within weeks if deliveries are not rerouted. He said “the clock is ticking” as aid agencies have a limited window to act before supplies run out.

The medicines are typically shipped via Port Sudan and transported by road to several areas of the country, including Darfur. Disruptions to these routes have delayed distribution to clinics already operating under pressure.

Sudan’s healthcare system has been severely weakened by the conflict, with widespread shortages and millions in need of assistance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Many facilities have reduced services or closed due to damage and shortages.

WHO regional director Hanan Balkhy said shortages are affecting multiple provinces.

Aid groups said higher transport costs and funding cuts are compounding the situation. Shipping companies have diverted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing freight costs by up to 30 percent and extending delivery times.

The disruption to freight and rising costs could exceed levels seen at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as aid systems now have limited reserves following funding cuts.

Save the Children said its Sudan budget has been reduced by $4 million this year to $98 million.

Asharq Al-Awsat, Reuters, World Health Organisation, Maghrebi.org