Doha: Cholera continues to spread across various parts of Sudan, in what is being described as the worst outbreak the country has seen in years. In the western region of Darfur alone, more than 40 people have died from the disease.
According to Qatar News Agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) reported that Sudanese citizens are enduring not only a devastating war but also the worst cholera epidemic in recent memory. The organization revealed that in Darfur alone, its teams have treated over 2,300 patients, with 40 deaths recorded just in the past week.
Since July 2024, approximately 100,000 cholera cases have been reported across all Sudanese states. The organization also highlighted the dire living conditions, noting that many people are surviving on just three liters of water per day, less than half the World Health Organization’s emergency minimum recommendation of 7.5 liters per person per day for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also raised alarm, warning that more than 640,000 children under the age of five are at risk of contracting the disease in North Darfur alone, where fierce clashes are ongoing between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over control of the city of El-Fasher.
Sudan has been gripped by a brutal conflict since April 2023, when war erupted between the army and the RSF. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
The United Nations has described the conflict as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” The war has effectively divided Sudan, with the army holding control over the central, eastern, and northern regions, while the RSF dominates most of Darfur and parts of the south.