Cholera Outbreak Claims Hundreds of Lives Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan
Sudan’s ongoing civil war is deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis, with more than 430 people succumbing to cholera in the last month, according to the Sudanese health ministry. Approximately 14,000 infections have been recorded, with officials warning that the disease is spreading rapidly.
In a recent statement, the ministry stressed its efforts to combat the outbreak despite the surge in cases. However, delivering medical aid to the hardest-hit regions remains an immense challenge due to the conflict that has ravaged Sudan since last year. The ongoing fighting has resulted in an estimated death toll of 150,000, according to U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emphasized the difficulty of providing relief in such conditions, stating, “Both warring factions are hindering access, leaving the humanitarian response far from adequate.” Sudan has been locked in a brutal struggle for power since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has plunged the country into what the United Nations has called one of the worst humanitarian disasters globally.
Over nine million people have been displaced, with widespread hunger looming as agricultural production has been severely disrupted. The western region of Darfur faces additional threats, with warnings of potential genocide targeting non-Arabs.
Cholera, a highly contagious disease that can cause severe dehydration and death, is usually treatable, but prompt care is critical, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sudan’s health minister, Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim, declared the outbreak in mid-August, and the situation has worsened due to heavy rains, flooding, and overcrowding in displacement camps.
Esperanza Santos, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Sudan, described the combination of factors as a “perfect storm” for the spread of cholera. In some areas, authorities have ordered schools, markets, and shops to close to curb the spread of the disease.
Pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable, with the collapse of the healthcare system compounding the crisis. MSF reports that between January and August, 114 maternal deaths occurred in South Darfur, while thousands of children face life-threatening malnutrition. The health system’s collapse continues to exacerbate the suffering of the most vulnerable populations in the war-torn country.
