Health
Sudan facing worst cholera outbreak in years, at least 40 dead in Darfur in one week
Sudan is grappling with its deadliest cholera outbreak in years, with the Darfur region hardest hit amid ongoing conflict, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned.
In a statement on Monday, MSF said that in just the past week, its teams in Darfur treated more than 2,300 cholera patients and recorded 40 deaths. Nationwide, 2,470 people have died from the disease since the outbreak began a year ago, with 99,700 suspected cases reported by August 11.
“This is the worst cholera outbreak Sudan has seen in years,” MSF said. “On top of an all-out war, civilians are now battling a deadly but preventable disease.”
Conflict fuels outbreak
The western region of Darfur – a major battleground in the more than two-year war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – has been particularly affected. MSF said mass displacement caused by the fighting has left hundreds of thousands without access to safe water, worsening the spread of the disease.
In Tawila, North Darfur, where 380,000 people have fled fighting around El-Fasher, civilians are surviving on just three litres of water per day, less than half the emergency minimum of 7.5 litres recommended for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
“In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources,” said MSF project coordinator Sylvain Penicaud. “Just two weeks ago, a body was found in a well inside one of the camps. It was removed, but within two days, people were forced to drink from that same water again.”
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection spread through contaminated food or water. It can kill within hours if untreated but is easily managed with oral rehydration and, in severe cases, antibiotics.
MSF warned that heavy rains are compounding the crisis by contaminating water sources, damaging sewage systems, and facilitating the movement of infected populations as they flee violence.
“The outbreak is now spreading beyond displacement camps into multiple localities across Darfur and beyond,” said MSF head of mission in Sudan, Tuna Turkmen. “Survivors of war must not be left to die from a preventable disease.”
The UN has described the humanitarian situation in El-Fasher – the last major city in Darfur under army control – as “appalling,” with civilians trapped in dire conditions as fighting intensifies. MSF also noted that the disease is spreading across borders into Chad and South Sudan.
Turkmen stressed the need for urgent intervention: “The situation is beyond urgent. Without clean water and rapid treatment, more lives will be lost.”
