Cholera Outbreak Officially Declared in Sudan

Sudan’s Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim has officially declared a cholera outbreak, following laboratory tests confirming the presence of the disease in cases of watery diarrhea, Xinhua reported yesterday.

This announcement comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports 11,327 cholera cases and 316 deaths in the country. WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris indicated that the actual number of infections may be higher than reported.

The outbreak is exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has led to a surge in epidemic diseases including malaria, measles, and dengue fever. Since the war began in April 2023, at least 16,650 lives have been lost, and around 10.7 million people are internally displaced, with an additional 2.2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries, according to the latest UN data. The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen as health conditions deteriorate.