Sudans Humanitarian Crisis Deepens As Cholera Claims Over 150 Lives
Sudan: Cholera Outbreak Worsened by War, Aid Blockades, Kills Over 150 in South Darfur
KHARTOUM — A catastrophic cholera outbreak in Sudan’s Darfur region, already reeling from a two-year civil war, has claimed the lives of at least 158 people in South Darfur since the end of May. The spread of the disease has been exacerbated by the conflict, which has crippled health infrastructure and made it nearly impossible for humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving aid.
According to a report from the paramilitary-controlled state government’s health ministry, a total of 2,880 cholera cases have been recorded in South Darfur as of late August. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that while cases have been reported in all five Darfur states, South Darfur accounts for more than half of the total.
The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called the Darfur outbreak the worst Sudan has seen in years, warning that the disease threatens to spread to neighboring countries like South Sudan and Chad. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused mass displacement, forcing millions to flee their homes and settle in overcrowded, unsanitary displacement camps.
The dire conditions in these camps are a major factor in the outbreak. A lack of clean water and proper sanitation facilities has created a perfect environment for cholera to thrive. In North Darfur, for example, MSF reports that displaced people in the town of Tawila are surviving on an average of just 3 liters of water per day, less than half the emergency minimum threshold of 7.5 liters recommended by the WHO for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
“In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources and many contract cholera,” said Sylvain Penicaud, an MSF project coordinator in Tawila. He cited a horrific example where a body was found in a camp well, and just two days after it was removed, people were forced to drink from the same water source.
Humanitarian agencies face immense obstacles in their efforts to respond. Active fighting and bureaucratic hurdles have blocked the delivery of essential supplies like oral rehydration salts, chlorine tablets for water purification, and cholera vaccines. The UN’s humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) has warned that without a significant increase in funding and access, cases and deaths will continue to rise.
The outbreak is a stark example of how the war has created a public health disaster. With hospitals destroyed, medical staff in short supply, and vital supplies dwindling, the health system is on the brink of collapse, leaving the population vulnerable to preventable diseases.
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