The journey started with a simple but essential goal: Help protect the lives of thousands of children across Darfur. It was the process of getting there that was much more complicated.
In mid-November 2024 we started planning for one of Sudan’s most significant vaccine deployments. This was no easy task in a country that had been wracked by conflict for 22 months, with systems and infrastructure buckling under the strain of fighting and displacement. But the team was determined to make this deployment happen, and so we embarked on the necessary meticulous planning and coordination.
First, vaccine needs were estimated before state focal points could be engaged to confirm storage capacities and readiness. Vaccines must be continuously stored in a limited temperature range – from the time they are manufactured until the moment a child is vaccinated – to ensure that they don’t lose their potency. Every detail was therefore dissected to ensure that when the vaccines left their starting point, there would be no turning back.
Getting on the road
By late December, the journey officially began. Vaccines for routine immunization service delivery destined for Central and West Darfur were packed and carefully loaded onto refrigerated trucks in Port Sudan at the end of December 2024. A week later, vaccines for South and East Darfur followed. These vaccines traveled under constant temperature control, thanks to UNICEF-supported trucks and carefully prepared ice packs. These steps are part of what’s called a cold chain.
The first milestone was El Debba. Here, the shipments exchanged ice packs, ensuring the vaccines remained potent. Every precaution was being taken because lives depended on it. From El Debba, the vaccines embarked on the final leg of their journey – the challenging route into Darfur. The road was long, and the stakes were high, but the mission remained in clear focus the whole time.
On 19 January 2025, the first shipment arrived in El Daein. It was a moment of success, but also of enormous relief to everyone involved. Within a day, the vaccines reached South Darfur, ready to bring protection to thousands more children. That same day, the final deliveries made their way to Central and West Darfur, completing this monumental operation.
A lifeline for children
The journey wasn’t without some significant challenges. Limited infrastructure in some areas and the vast distances were major obstacles that needed to be overcome. Yet, solutions were found. Ice packs were replenished, temperature monitoring devices ensured vaccine integrity, and neighboring states supported North Darfur’s coverage.
The shipment – the first delivery to Darfur since July 2024 – was more than a logistical achievement – it was a lifeline. The numbers alone tell the story of the impact these vaccines will have: More than 3.5 million doses of various vaccines were delivered, providing protection for almost 120,000 children against a range of diseases, including diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis and yellow fever.
Immunization remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to protect children’s health, yet since the conflict began national vaccination coverage has tumbled. According to estimates, more than 700,000 children in Sudan haven’t received any vaccinations at all.
As Chief of Health for UNICEF Sudan Tedbabe Degefie Hailegebriel notes, “In conflict contexts such as these it is essential that we redouble efforts to protect children’s right to immunization. Doing so requires enormous human effort, sleepless nights, and the unwavering commitment of everyone involved. But the benefits for children and families are incalculable.”
Isra Abdalla is a health specialist with UNICEF Sudan.
