Sudan

Use High Level of Caution

The Republic of the Sudan is located in the northeastern area of Africa between Egypt and Eritrea and has over 800 kilometers of coastline on the Red Sea. The population is about 35 million people. Joint British-Egyptian rule over Sudan ended in 1956 and was followed by years of military regime governments. The present government is a federal republic with a president serving as both chief of state and head of government.

Many years of armed conflict, including the conflict in western Darfur, led to many thousands of deaths and millions of displaced persons. The prolonged north-south conflict in Sudan led to the secession and the formation of South Sudan in 2011 after a referendum that overwhelmingly endorsed an independent state. However, border demarcation and sharing of oil revenues are issues that are yet to be resolved with South Sudan.

Sudan faces the challenge of influxes of refugees from surrounding countries, mainly Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, and Eritrea. Sudan could prosper in the absence of armed conflict given the large areas of cultivatable land, as well as gold and oil reserves.

Currency	SDC: Sudanese pound
Language	Arabic; English
Capital	Khartoum
Recent Alerts	1
Latest Alert	July 19, 2021 - COVID-19 Precautionary Measures in Sudan (19 July Update)

Diseases To Be Aware Of

The diseases listed below are those which occur most often in Sudan. Other, less frequently encountered diseases might be displayed within the Travel Alerts section if they have occurred recently.

Hepatitis A There is a significant risk for hepatitis A virus exposure in Sudan through contaminated food or water.
Hepatitis B There is a significant risk for acquiring hepatitis B in Sudan.
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.
Rabies Rabies does occur in Sudan. Travellers involved in outdoor and other activities that might bring them into direct contact with dogs, bats 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.
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.
Dengue Fever Outbreaks of dengue fever may occur.
Chikungunya Fever Chikungunya fever has occurred in this country.
Meningitis Meningitis outbreaks may occur in Sudan. Travellers who visit during the dry season (December to June) or expect to have prolonged contact with the local population are especially at risk.
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.
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.
Sleeping Sickness (Type 1) African trypanosomiasis (“sleeping sickness”) occurs in this country. Travellers to urban areas are not at risk.

Vaccinations to Consider

The following is a list of recommended vaccinations for travelling to Sudan.

Hepatitis A Vaccine There is a significant risk of exposure to hepatitis A for this country, therefore, the vaccination is recommended.
Hepatitis B Vaccine There is a significant risk of infection with hepatitis B for this country, therefore, the vaccination is recommended.
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.
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.
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.
Meningitis Vaccine Because this country is located in the sub-Saharan meningitis belt, vaccination against meningitis is recommended if travelling during the dry season (December to June).
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.

Medications to Consider

The following is a list of recommended medications for travelling to Sudan.

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

Safety and Security in Sudan

Emergency Numbers

999

Service is in Arabic and emergency response may be limited.

Personal Safety

With the exception of Darfur, street and petty crime is low in Khartoum and other major cities in Sudan. However, there is a high risk of terrorism and kidnapping. There have been reports of westerners being targeted. Always be alert to your personal safety and security. Keep valuables secured and out of sight. Safeguard your important documents, such as your passport.

In a number of Sudan states, a state of emergency is in place and the government has greater powers of arrest. There have been reports of random detentions in Sudan, including in Khartoum and including foreign nationals.

Permits are required for foreigners to travel outside Khartoum. For travel, reputable travel firms and guides should be used to avoid increased safety risk.

Areas To Avoid

Many countries advise citizens to avoid all travel in Sudan outside Khartoum due to armed conflict and the dangerous security situation. Other countries advise citizens to avoid all but necessary travel to Khartoum. There is a risk of kidnapping both in rural and urban areas. Border areas are particularly dangerous.

Extreme Violence

There is a high threat of terrorist attack in this country. There is a high threat of kidnapping in this country, including kidnapping of foreigners and aid workers.

Political Unrest

Demonstrations can occur at short notice in Khartoum. Minimize safety risk by avoiding public and political gatherings and demonstrations since even peaceful protests can quickly and unexpectedly become violent.

Get A Free Account!

Sitata uses advanced software algorithms to monitor the world for disease outbreaks and safety hazards. Each travel alert published by Sitata is reviewed by staff to ensure it meets the concerns of a traveller.

Plan A Trip

Updated: July 19, 2021