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416 New Cholera Cases Reported in Darfur

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A local voluntary organization in Darfur announced on Saturday the detection of 416 new cholera cases and 12 deaths, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 11,272 cases and 441 deaths.

According to a statement by the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees, posted on its Facebook page, the epidemic is spreading at an unprecedented rate in Jebel Marra – including Nertiti, Tur, Keila, Kidi, Keti Bluin, Rokero, and East Jebel Marra – as well as villages surrounding Zalingei, Nyala, Tawila, and several displacement camps.

Tawila has been hit the hardest, recording 5,353 cases and 78 deaths, followed by Golo with 1,329 cases and 52 deaths. Displacement camps have also been severely affected, including Kalma Camp (457 cases, 64 deaths) and Otash Camp (263 cases, 59 deaths).

The Coordination stressed that the cholera outbreak coincides with other crises such as malaria, malnutrition, and hunger, amid severe shortages of medical supplies and overstretched isolation centers.

It urged humanitarian organizations, especially the World Health Organization (WHO), to step up emergency efforts to address what it called a “forgotten humanitarian catastrophe”, warning that thousands of displaced families face life-threatening risks from epidemics in the context of ongoing war and famine.

Last month, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that Sudan is facing its worst cholera outbreak in years. Since the Ministry of Health declared the epidemic a year ago, more than 99,700 suspected cases and 2,470 related deaths have been recorded. In August alone, MSF teams treated over 2,300 patients and reported 40 deaths in Darfur, where communities lack access to clean water and basic hygiene measures are nearly impossible to follow.