FAO launches nationwide livestock vaccination drive in Sudan

SUDAN – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Government of Sudan, has launched a four-month emergency vaccination campaign to protect 9.4 million livestock from deadly diseases, a move expected to safeguard the livelihoods of over three million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.

The initiative, running from October 2025 through January 2026, comes at a time when Sudan is gripped by a worsening food crisis, with famine confirmed in several areas. 

The campaign aims to protect animals from highly contagious transboundary and zoonotic diseases, including peste des petits ruminants (PPR), sheep and goat pox (SGP), contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP), African horse sickness (AHS), and anthrax.

Livestock vital to Sudan’s survival

Livestock underpins Sudan’s rural economy, serving as a critical source of food, nutrition security, and income for millions of families. 

The sector is also a major contributor to Sudan’s foreign exchange earnings as one of the region’s leading livestock exporters. 

FAO stressed that healthy herds not only sustain domestic needs but also supply neighboring Arab and Gulf countries with animal protein.

“This vaccination campaign comes at a critical time as Sudan faces a worsening food insecurity crisis,” said Hongjie Yang, FAO Representative in Sudan. 

“Protecting animal health is essential not only for safeguarding the livelihoods of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist families, but also for ensuring the availability of milk, meat, and income that millions of people rely on.”

Yang added that the effort goes beyond livestock protection. “With the support of our partners, we are not only protecting herds, but also strengthening food security and nutrition and the national economy.”

Responding to a deepening food crisis

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, famine has been confirmed in Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al Salam camps in North Darfur, as well as in the Western Nuba Mountains. 

About 24.6 million people are projected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or higher) levels of acute food insecurity, including at least 638,000 people experiencing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), through May 2025.

To reach vulnerable populations in conflict-affected and hard-to-access regions, FAO is piloting a cross-border vaccine delivery through Chad for the first time. 

Working with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and FAO Chad, this approach will facilitate vaccine transport to Darfur and West Kordofan, where traditional supply chains are severely disrupted.

Backed by international partners

The campaign is being supported by a coalition of donors, including the European Union, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the China International Development Cooperation Agency, FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and other partners.

By preserving animal health, FAO and its partners hope to stabilise household incomes, sustain regional food supplies, and contribute to reviving Sudan’s fragile economy. 

The campaign is expected to deliver long-term benefits for livestock keepers, service providers, and consumers both within Sudan and across its trading partners.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.