SUDAN: First vaccine shipment in nearly three years arrives in South Kordofan

The first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan, Sudan in nearly three years will restore lifesaving immunization services to children and communities cut off from essential supplies due to conflict and siege, Save the Children said.

Two truckloads of 11 key routine vaccines from Save the Children arrived in Kadugli in South Kordofan in south-central Sudan this weekend, delivering a total of 18 metric tons of vaccines.

The shipment included the tuberculosis BCG vaccine, oral polio vaccine (OPV) and pentavalent, which protects against five deadly childhood diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B. The shipment also contained lifesaving rotavirus, pneumococcal, measles, meningococcal A, inactivated Polio (IPV) and Yellow Fever vaccines.

South Kordofan had not received any vaccines since July 2023 due to a siege blocking medical and humanitarian supplies. This left thousands of children without protection to preventable disease at a time when malnutrition and displacement were putting them at heightened risk.

Save the Children said this delivery marked a critical step in stabilizing health services in the state. The shipment will support immunization across five localities including Kadugli, where famine was confirmed in September 2025. Families in AlReif Alshargi, Aldalang, Habila and Al Goos will also benefit, with more than 24,500 children set to receive routine vaccinations this year. In addition, nearly 6,000 women will receive the tetanus vaccine.

Funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Save the Children works with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and consortium partners to support immunization services in 38 fixed health facilities, 52 outreach sites, and six mobile teams in South Kordofan.

Dr. Bashir Kamal Eldin, Health & Nutrition Director of Save the Children in Sudan, said:

“Vaccines are one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to prevent child deaths. This vaccine delivery is a breakthrough for thousands of children and mothers who have endured months without reliable access to food and basic health services, conditions that have put their lives at serious risk.

“While access has now improved, the situation remains extremely fragile. Without sustained peace and guaranteed humanitarian access, these gains could quickly be reversed.”

Save the Children and its partners continue working to strengthen routine immunization systems and identify children who missed vaccines during the siege, while calling for continued humanitarian access and stability to ensure children are not once again cut off from lifesaving care.

Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and hunger. Many of the children and families we support are among the most vulnerable and hardest to reach. Today, we are one of the largest international NGOs in Sudan, providing a range of services to protect children’s lives and rights.

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