Sudan hit by worst cholera outbreak in years amid war
The cholera ward in Tawila, Sudan, was overwhelmed in the first week of August, highlighting what Médecins Sans Frontières described as “the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years.”
Humanitarian organizations warn that the disease is spreading beyond Sudan, raising fears of outbreaks across neighboring countries. “People cross borders,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative to Sudan. “This epidemic has already reached South Sudan and is moving into Chad. Without intervention, it could ripple across the region for weeks and months.”
Sudan has recorded nearly 100,000 suspected cholera cases and over 2,400 deaths since the Health Ministry declared the outbreak a year ago. Médecins Sans Frontières reported 40 deaths in just one week in western Darfur. The town of Tawila, about 44 miles from El Fasher in North Darfur, has become a hotspot as hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict crowd into camps with limited water, sanitation, and healthcare.
“In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources, and many contract cholera,” said Sylvain Penicaud, a Médecins Sans Frontières project coordinator in Tawila. He noted that even after a body was removed from a well, residents had little alternative but to use the same water days later.
Cholera, caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, spreads rapidly in crowded conditions with poor sanitation. It kills through severe dehydration but can be treated cheaply with proper medication, provided it is accessible.
Sudan has been engulfed in violence since a civil war broke out between rival generals in April 2023, with Darfur, largely controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, particularly affected. UNICEF reported that fighting in North Darfur has placed over 640,000 children under five at heightened risk of hunger, violence, and disease.
Aid cuts have worsened the crisis. In 2024, the U.S. provided $830 million in emergency aid to Sudan, the largest contribution by any country, but reductions this year have disrupted food programs relied on by vulnerable communities.
Cholera is also affecting the wider region. Refugee settlements in Chad have reported outbreaks, South Sudan is experiencing its worst cholera crisis with over 80,000 cases, and the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded more than 29,000 suspected cases and 620 deaths earlier this year. Angola has faced its most severe outbreak in nearly two decades, with over 26,000 cases and 750 deaths in five months.
Yett warned that the rainy season could worsen conditions by mixing sewage with drinking water. “Already we’ve got a massive outbreak,” he said, “and the rains are still in front of us.”
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