The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported nearly 100000 cholera cases in Sudan since July last year.
The outbreak has spread across all states due to conflict, flooding and limited healthcare access.
Humanitarian crisis due to conflict, disease
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in violence. The clashes are going on between military factions led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The clashes have displaced millions and disrupted essential services.
The WHO warns that the ongoing fighting has created conditions for cholera and other infectious diseases to thrive.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that violence has led to hunger, disease and suffering.
Declining cases but risks remain high
While cholera infections have shown a recent decline, WHO officials caution that disease surveillance remains weak.
Flooding in large parts of the country is expected to worsen outbreaks.
Oral cholera vaccines have been administered in key areas including Khartoum but health efforts are impacted by funding shortages. The WHO has received less than a third of the funds needed to support emergency medical services in Sudan.
Cholera
Cholera is a severe intestinal infection spread through contaminated food and water.
It causes dehydration, vomiting and muscle cramps. Without treatment, it can be fatal within hours.
The global surge in cholera cases since 2021 has hit Sudan particularly hard.
