MSF: Sudan Faces Worst Cholera Outbreak in Years

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Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that Sudan is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in years, with more than 99,700 suspected cases and 2,470 related deaths recorded since August 2024, as of 11 August this year.

In a statement on Thursday, the organization said it had treated over 2,300 patients in just one week and recorded 40 deaths in Ministry of Health–run facilities in Darfur states, which are suffering from a severe shortage of clean water.

Areas such as Tawila, Golo, Zalingei, and Sortony are witnessing a rapid spread of the disease, with treatment centers operating beyond capacity and patients forced to use contaminated water.

The crisis is being compounded by heavy rains that contaminate water sources and damage sanitation networks. Displaced people in camps face acute water shortages, with daily per capita consumption in some areas averaging only 3 liters, compared to the emergency minimum of 7.5 liters per day.

MSF noted that cholera has also spread to Blue Nile State and crossed into Chad and South Sudan, warning that every day of delay in the response costs more lives.

The organization called for the establishment of an international emergency mechanism to provide treatment, improve water and sanitation services, and launch urgent cholera vaccination campaigns in affected areas, affirming its readiness to cooperate with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization.

“We must not allow war survivors to die from a preventable disease,” stressed Tuna Turkmen, MSF Head of Mission in Sudan.