Sudan is teetering on the edge of a public health disaster as a deadly cholera outbreak spreads rapidly across the country, exacerbated by the ongoing civil war now in its third year. Aid group International Rescue Committee (IRC) has issued a stark warning, highlighting the growing toll on civilians already devastated by conflict.
In just one week, Sudan’s Health Ministry reported 172 cholera-related deaths, noting that Khartoum state remains the hardest hit. The ministry shared the figures via Facebook, underscoring the escalating crisis.
The spread of the disease has been linked to severe disruptions in basic services. According to Sudanese media citing local doctors, drone attacks have led to widespread power outages at water purification stations, forcing communities to rely on contaminated water sources.
“The civil war is fuelling the resurgence of cholera,” said Eatizaz Yousif, IRC’s country director for Sudan. The organisation also pointed to dangerously low vaccine coverage and a dwindling supply of essential medical resources
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Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) echoed the concerns, reporting “thousands of suspected cholera cases” in Khartoum since mid-April. MSF’s medical coordinator in Sudan, Slaymen Ammar, stressed that the conflict has decimated healthcare infrastructure, making access to medical care either unaffordable or entirely unavailable.
“Many of the remaining health workers had no choice but to leave due to the fighting,” Ammar said. “The few health facilities still functioning are overwhelmed.”
According to MSF, Khartoum saw as many as 500 cholera cases in a single day last week. The outbreak has also spread to northern and southern parts of the country, as reported by AFP.
Cholera, a waterborne disease, is often mild or asymptomatic. However, in severe cases it can cause life-threatening diarrhoea, requiring urgent treatment with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, according to the World Health Organisation.
The cholera outbreak compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis. More than 150,000 people have been killed since the war erupted between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and millions have been displaced. The United Nations has described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
With no end in sight to the conflict and basic infrastructure crumbling, aid organisations are pleading for urgent international intervention to prevent further loss of life.
Melissa Enoch
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