Sudan is grappling with a Cholera Outbreak that has claimed the lives of nearly 22 people and infected hundreds more recently, according to health authorities.
Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim announced on Sunday that at least 22 fatalities have been reported, with 354 confirmed cholera cases across the war-torn country in recent weeks.
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On Saturday, he declared a cholera epidemic, attributing the outbreak to adverse weather conditions and contamination of drinking water.
The decision to address the cholera outbreak was made in collaboration with authorities in the eastern state of Kassala, United Nations agencies, and experts after the public health laboratory identified the cholera virus.
Margaret Harris from the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that Sudan has recorded 11,327 cholera cases and 316 deaths, with expectations of more cases yet to be reported.
Cholera is a rapidly spreading and highly contagious infection causing severe diarrhea, leading to dehydration and potentially death within hours if untreated. It spreads through contaminated food or water and poses a high risk to children under five.
Cholera is relatively common in Sudan, with a significant outbreak in 2017 resulting in over 700 deaths and about 22,000 infections within two months.
The current outbreak adds to the region’s challenges, as recent severe floods have caused extensive damage, killing dozens, destroying critical infrastructure, and displacing approximately 118,000 people across 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces, according to local authorities and the UN migration agency.
The situation in Sudan is further complicated by the civil war that erupted in April last year, following escalating tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group. This conflict has plunged the country into chaos.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti,” are battling for control of the 46-million-strong nation. The fighting has turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlegrounds, severely damaging civilian infrastructure and the already struggling healthcare system, leading to the closure of many hospitals and medical facilities.
The war has caused thousands of deaths, displaced over 10.7 million people, and driven many to the brink of starvation, with famine confirmed in a large displacement camp in Darfur.
Despite the ongoing conflict, new talks aimed at ending the 16-month war began in Switzerland on Wednesday, though the army did not participate. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the African Union, Egypt, the UAE, and the UN are working to bring the Sudanese army and RSF to a ceasefire agreement.
On Sunday, Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council announced it would send a government delegation to Cairo to meet with US officials, amid increasing US pressure for the military to engage in the truce talks in Switzerland.
