“We had to watch two of the babies die before our eyes,” said Dr. Hasan Babikir, describing the deaths of premature triplets who he was unable to treat due to lack of intensive care beds.
As tens of thousands of people, many in urgent need of health care, flee the violence ravaging South Kordofan, health workers at El-Obeid maternity hospital in neighboring North Kordofan describe dire conditions.
Shortages
“There is a serious shortage of surgical and normal delivery equipment, as well as essential items such as antibiotics, surgical sutures and gloves,” Dr Babikir told the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA.
“This forces us to buy them on the market at very high prices. »
The maternity ward is the only referral hospital in western Sudan and currently serves more than 230,000 displaced people, mostly women and girls facing sexual violence, hunger and a near-total lack of healthcare.
The town of El-Obeid has also been the target of frequent drone attacks, with multiple attacks on health facilities killing and injuring health workers and patients.
A growing maternal health crisis
“Previously, the hospital did not have a neonatal intensive care unit,” says Dr. Babikir. “At the beginning of 2026, we opened one with only four beds, constantly occupied, and we urgently need to increase capacity. »
Increasingly difficult conditions are driving up maternal mortality rates, he warned. “We have lost patients due to long wait times. Although there are two emergency operating rooms, they are currently out of service.”
“In many cases, emergency room patients arrive when all rooms are occupied, sometimes resulting in the loss of the mother or fetus. »
The lives of newborns are also at risk: “We don’t have tables to place newborns on, nor do we have adequate infection control equipment in the delivery rooms,” said midwife Laila Sarfo.
To address these challenges, UNFPA installed a solar energy system to help mitigate power outages at the maternity ward, rehabilitated delivery rooms, and trained and deployed skilled health workers to assist with emergency obstetric and neonatal services.
Health workers under pressure
“The salaries we receive are not enough to cover even the basic transportation or meals we need during our shifts,” explained Insaf, a senior midwife.
“Often, women arrive without the means to purchase essential birthing supplies, and we find ourselves paying for these items out of our own pockets,” Insaf added.
Still, she and her colleagues are determined to continue providing care, “with some midwives working around the clock to meet the overwhelming demand,” Insaf said.
“Women are exhausted by war”
Nearly three years of civil war have left more than 33 million people in Sudan in dire need of humanitarian aid.
The conflict has been marked by horrific sexual violence, kidnappings and child marriages, with survivors struggling to access safe spaces or healthcare.
In the crowded Al Moaskar Al Mwahhad IDP camp in South Kordofan, UNFPA runs a mobile health clinic and safe space for women and girls who have survived or are at risk of abuse.
“Women are exhausted by the war,” said Salma, 50, who has lived in the camp for eight months now.
“Many crimes have been committed against women, including rape. Many women have become widows. In this camp, the number of women who are still with their husbands can be counted on one hand,” she added.
For the girls, the crisis is impacting almost every aspect of their lives and futures: “We traveled by donkey for three days, and after that these trucks brought us here,” Ismailia, 16, told UNFPA.
“I hope to return to my town and my school. Please allow us to rebuild our house and return.”
To continue supporting women and girls in 2026, UNFPA is urgently appealing for $129 million, of which only $33 million has been pledged so far.
