First vaccines in three years reach Sudan’s South Kordofan as siege eases
March 2, 2026 (KADUGLI) – Save the Children delivered the first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan in nearly three years on Monday, preparing to restore immunization services to a region long cut off by conflict.
The delivery follows a military operation on Feb. 3 in which the Sudanese army broke a siege on the cities of Dilling and Kadugli. The blockade had been maintained by a coalition of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.
In a statement, Save the Children said it “delivered the first shipment of vaccines to South Kordofan in nearly three years to restore life-saving immunization services for children and communities deprived of essential supplies due to conflict and blockade.”
Two trucks carrying 18 metric tons of 11 essential vaccines reached the state capital, Kadugli, over the weekend. The shipment included doses for tuberculosis and oral polio, as well as the pentavalent vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis.
The delivery also contained vaccines against rotavirus, pneumococcus, measles, meningococcus, and yellow fever.
Kadugli residents faced severe shortages during the siege, with many forced to wait in long queues for small amounts of grain. While local markets have begun to recover, the state had not received any vaccines since July 2023. This gap left thousands of children vulnerable to preventable diseases at a time when malnutrition and displacement were on the rise.
The organization said the supplies are sufficient to provide routine vaccinations for more than 24,500 children this year and tetanus shots for 6,000 women. The program supports 38 fixed health facilities and 52 field sites across five localities, including Kadugli, Dilling, and Habila.
“The shipment that reached Kadugli represents a significant breakthrough for thousands of children and mothers who endured months without reliable access to food and basic health services,” said Bashir Kamal el-Din, Health and Nutrition Director at Save the Children.
He added that while access has improved, the situation remains “extremely fragile” and warned that gains could be lost without sustainable peace and guaranteed humanitarian access.
The 35-month conflict in Sudan has pushed national vaccination rates to their lowest levels in 40 years due to the collapse of infrastructure and supply chains.