Sudan Launches Nationwide Drive to Vaccinate 9.8 Million Livestock

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has launched a nationwide livestock vaccination campaign in Sudan that aims to protect 9.8 million animals and support 1.2 million livestock owning households during the 2026 to 2027 campaign.

FAO said the program will operate across all 18 states and is intended to protect animal health, maintain milk and meat production and preserve productive assets for pastoral and agropastoral households. Sudan's livestock population was estimated at 115.4 million animals in 2025.

The scale of the intervention reflects damage to the country's veterinary system. FAO says animal health services, disease surveillance and vaccination capacity have been severely disrupted since conflict began in April 2023, while livestock related losses are estimated at nearly $3 billion.

One of the biggest structural losses was the destruction of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Soba. Before the conflict, the facility produced as many as 35 million vaccine doses per year and served as Sudan's national veterinary reference laboratory.

FAO imported about 23 million vaccine doses in 2025 and supported cold chain management, transport and distribution into livestock producing areas. Between October 2025 and July 2026, the organization says 8.4 million animals were vaccinated, benefiting an estimated 537,000 households.

The new campaign will be paired with vouchers for concentrated feed and mineral salt licks for eligible livestock owners. The objective is to combine disease prevention with support for animal nutrition and productivity.

The livestock campaign sits within a broader agricultural emergency response. FAO reports that Sudan's cereal production has remained 22 to 25 percent below average over the past three years, while higher production and transport costs have added pressure to food availability and farm economics.

For livestock markets and food supply, the immediate significance is operational. Maintaining herd health protects breeding stock, milk output, meat supply and household income, while reducing the risk that disease losses compound existing production constraints.