Cholera Outbreak Surges in War-Torn Sudan, Killing Hundreds
Sudan’s health ministry reported a sharp rise in cholera cases, with 2,700 infections and 172 deaths recorded in just one week, Arab News reported.
Ninety percent of cases are concentrated in Khartoum state, where infrastructure has collapsed amid ongoing fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned the outbreak is accelerating, with nearly 2,000 suspected cases treated last week in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city. An aid worker confirmed 12 cholera deaths in Omdurman on Monday, including a relative of a relief staff member. The crisis follows a March outbreak in White Nile State that killed 92 people.
Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim linked the surge to displaced families returning to Khartoum, overwhelming scarce water supplies. Although the military recently regained control of Greater Khartoum, drone strikes and RSF clashes have crippled utilities.
MSF coordinator Joyce Bakker described overwhelmed clinics: “Many patients arrive too late to be saved. We don’t know the true scale.” She urged immediate water, sanitation, and medical aid.
The UN calls Sudan’s two-year conflict the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million displaced and 20,000+ dead. Famine and disease outbreaks now compound the war’s toll.
