Cholera outbreak kills 172 in Sudan in just a week

The ministry said 90 percent of cases were recorded in Khartoum state, where vital services have been crippled by drone strikes attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s army since April 2023.

Cases have also emerged in central, southern, and northern regions, indicating a rapid nationwide spread.

While cholera is endemic to Sudan, outbreaks have worsened dramatically since the war began, devastating already weak water, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure.

Just a week ago, authorities reported 51 deaths among more than 2,300 cases over three weeks — highlighting the sharp and deadly acceleration of the outbreak.

Earlier this month, the RSF launched drone attacks across Khartoum, including strikes on three power stations. Though the RSF has since been pushed out of its last strongholds in the capital, the damage left large parts of the city without electricity or running water.

“Water treatment stations no longer have electricity and cannot provide clean water from the Nile,” said Slaymen Ammar, medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), warning that many residents have been forced to rely on unsafe water sources.

Cholera, a waterborne disease that causes severe diarrhoea, can kill within hours if left untreated. However, it is easily prevented and managed with access to clean water, sanitation, and timely medical care — resources now in critically short supply.

According to the World Health Organization, Sudan’s healthcare system has been pushed to the brink. Up to 90 percent of hospitals have been forced to close at various points due to attacks, looting, or supply shortages, according to the doctors’ union.

The civil war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million people, creating what the UN calls the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.