Sudan

Recommended Vaccinations For Sudan

For Most Travellers

Hepatitis B Vaccine

There is a significant risk of infection with hepatitis B for this country, therefore, the vaccination is recommended.

Hepatitis A Vaccine

There is a significant risk of exposure to hepatitis A for this country, therefore, the vaccination is recommended. Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against the disease.

For Some Travellers

Rabies Vaccine

Pre-travel vaccination against rabies is recommended for travellers involved in outdoor activities (e.g., campers, hikers, bikers, adventure travellers, and cavers) and who may have direct contact with rabid dogs, bats, and other mammals. Persons with occupational risks (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, researchers) and long-term travellers and expatriates are at higher risk and should be vaccinated.

Polio Vaccine

A single lifetime booster dose of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) is recommended for adults who received the routine polio vaccination series as children

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine

One dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) is recommended to infants 6 to 11 months prior to international travel.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine

A BCG vaccine is recommended for all unvaccinated adults and children under 16 years of age, staying in the country for more than 3 months. A tuberculin skin test is required prior to administering vaccination for all children from 6 years of age.

Meningitis Vaccine

Because this country is located in the sub-Saharan meningitis belt, vaccination against meningitis is recommended if travelling during the dry season (January to April).

Yellow Fever Vaccine

This country requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate for travellers 1 year of age and older arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. A certificate may be required for travellers departing Sudan. The yellow fever vaccine is recommended for all travellers aged 9 months and older travelling to areas south of the Sahara Desert, but not recommended for travellers whose itineraries are limited to areas in the Sahara Desert and the city of Khartoum.

Typhoid Fever Vaccine

There is a risk of exposure to typhoid fever in this country through consumption of unsafe food and water. Since exposure to unsafe sources is variable within this country, the vaccination against typhoid fever is generally recommended, especially when visiting smaller cities or rural areas, where food and water sources may be contaminated.

Cholera Vaccine

The U.K. NaTHNaC recommends the oral cholera vaccine for some travellers whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk, travelling to areas of active cholera transmission. These risk factors include: aid workers; those going to areas of cholera outbreaks who have limited access to potable water and medical care; travellers for whom the vaccination would be considered potentially beneficial, such as chronic medical conditions.

Recommended Medications For Sudan

For Some Travellers

Anti-malarial Drugs

Recommended anti-malaria medications include atovaquone-proguanil, mefloquine or doxycycline. Resistance to chloroquine is widespread.

Diseases To Be Aware of for Sudan

For Most Travellers

Hepatitis B

There is a significant risk for acquiring hepatitis B in Sudan.

Dengue Fever

Outbreaks of dengue fever may occur.

Hepatitis A

There is a significant risk for hepatitis A virus exposure in Sudan through contaminated food or water.

Chikungunya Fever

Chikungunya fever has occurred in this country.

Cholera

Cholera outbreaks occur in Sudan. The risk to travellers is low unless living or working in poor sanitary conditions, drinking untreated water or eating poorly cooked or raw seafood in this country.

For Some Travellers

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

There is a risk of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever in Sudan.

African Tick Bite Fever

There is an increased risk of this disease in this country.

Hanta Virus

There is a risk of acquiring hantavirus in Sudan through contaminated food or by coming into contact with someone infected with the virus

Rift Valley Fever (RVF)

Commonly spread via contact with domesticated animals infected with the virus. These include cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels, among others.

Leishmaniasis

There is a risk of acquiring Leishmaniasis in the country. The infection is transmitted by the bite of infected phlebotomine sandfly.

Schistosomiasis

The parasite that causes schistosomiasis is found in the country. Well-chlorinated swimming pools and contact with saltwater in oceans or seas will not put travellers at risk for schistosomiasis.

Measles

There is a risk of exposure to measles in the country.

West Nile Fever

The virus is transmitted to animals, birds and humans by mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, and skin rash.

Polio

There is a risk of acquiring Polio in the country and is transmitted from one person to another when droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person gets into the mouth of another person.

Sleeping Sickness (Type 1)

African trypanosomiasis (“sleeping sickness”) occurs in this country. Travellers to urban areas are not at risk.

Malaria

There is a risk of malaria throughout the country, except in Khartoum. The risk is very high in the central and southern parts of Sudan.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis occurs in Sudan. Travellers to Sudan are at risk for tuberculosis if visiting sick friends or family, working in the health care field, or having close prolonged contact with the general population.

Typhoid Fever

Unvaccinated people can become infected through contaminated food and water in Sudan, especially when visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas where food and water sources may be contaminated.

Meningitis

Meningitis outbreaks may occur in Sudan. Travellers who visit during the dry season (January to April) or expect to have prolonged contact with the local population are especially at risk.

Rabies

Rabies does occur in Sudan. Bats may also carry rabies-like viruses. Travellers involved in outdoor and other activities that might bring them into direct contact with dogs and other mammals (such as campers, hikers, adventure travellers and cavers), as well as travellers with occupational risks (such as veterinarians, wild life professionals and researchers), and long-term travellers and expatriates are at higher risk.

Yellow Fever

There is a risk of yellow fever transmission in areas south of the Sahara Desert, excluding the city of Khartoum. This country requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate for travellers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. A certificate may be required for travellers departing Sudan.

Safety & Security in Sudan

Personal Safety

Sudan faces an active civil war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Fighting continues across the country with over 61,000 deaths recorded in Khartoum State alone. Death toll estimates range from tens of thousands to 150,000 people killed since the conflict began. More than 14 million people have been displaced, making this the worst displacement crisis in the world. Both military factions regularly target civilians, with indiscriminate attacks, looting, and kidnappings occurring alongside armed conflict. Roadblocks and checkpoints appear without warning, often run by armed groups. Foreigners have been targeted for kidnapping for ransom or propaganda purposes. Violent crime including armed robbery, carjacking, and home invasion occurs throughout Sudan. Banditry is rampant in western Sudan, especially in Darfur. Electrical and communication disruptions, including internet and cell phone service, can occur at any time. Evacuation options are extremely limited and complicated. Khartoum International Airport remains closed. The situation is violent, volatile, and extremely unpredictable. Most governments advise against all travel to Sudan and have withdrawn diplomatic staff.

Extreme Violence

Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with extreme violence against civilians. Both warring parties commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ethnic cleansing and genocide are occurring in Darfur, with systematic attacks against Masalit, Fur, Zaghawa, and other non-Arab communities. Armed men shoot civilians indiscriminately and commit acts of sexual violence against women and girls. Widespread looting of markets, homes, and torching of farms has led to devastation across multiple regions. Ethnically motivated attacks on civilians are becoming increasingly common. The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have massacred thousands in West Darfur, with at least 10,000 people killed in that region alone between 2023 and 2024. Civilians in Darfur face assault, detention, and killing while villages are attacked, burned, and looted. Both sides use heavy weaponry in populated areas. Sexual and gender-based violence has sharply risen, with a 288 percent increase in survivors seeking support services between December 2023 and December 2024. Women and girls are subjected to rape, gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery, and forced marriage. Child soldier recruitment is common. Hospitals and medical facilities are under siege, with over 80 percent of hospitals in conflict zones non-operational. The last quarter of 2024 saw more violence than any time since the conflict began.

Political Unrest

Sudan has experienced severe political instability since the October 2021 military coup that dissolved the transitional civilian government. The April 2023 outbreak of civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces represents a complete breakdown of the political transition process. The conflict originated from disputes over integration of the RSF into the military and control of economic sectors. Both factions refuse to halt violence despite international mediation efforts. Peace talks have repeatedly failed to produce results. The RSF announced creation of a parallel government, spurring fears of lasting territorial split. Large-scale demonstrations previously occurred demanding establishment of a democratically elected government. Security forces used excessive and lethal force to disperse crowds, resulting in numerous casualties. Arbitrary arrests and detention continue in Khartoum and across the country. Curfews are imposed with little or no warning. Political tensions remain at crisis levels with no resolution in sight. The situation has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 30 million people needing assistance. Regional and international actors have taken sides in the war, fueling continued fighting.

Areas To Avoid

Avoid all areas of Sudan due to the active civil war. Darfur region remains extremely dangerous and is an active conflict zone. All five Darfur capital cities have seen intense fighting, with El Geneina, Nyala, Zalingei, and El Daein fallen to the RSF. El Fasher in North Darfur has been under siege since May 2024. West Darfur has witnessed particularly horrific violence and ethnic cleansing. Khartoum, the capital, was the site of most intense fighting until the SAF recaptured key areas in March 2025, but the city remains volatile and dangerous. Much of Khartoum’s infrastructure has been destroyed. Omdurman and Bahri, part of the greater Khartoum metropolitan area, continue to experience conflict. Al Jazirah state in the southeast has seen ethnically targeted attacks on civilian camps. South Kordofan and Blue Nile states along the South Sudan border face armed violence. Border areas with Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Libya, and Eritrea are dangerous due to armed groups and landmines. The Red Sea and North Darfur face heightened risks of famine. Areas outside major cities have extremely poor infrastructure and limited medical care. Humanitarian access is severely constrained across conflict zones.