Cholera Cases Surge in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has exacerbated cholera infections with the war-stricken country recording almost 600 cases since July.

World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Sudan, Dr. Shible Sahbani, said that 658 cases have been recorded in the past month alone, with most cases happening in Al-Qadarif and Kassala due the ongoing floods and a large influx of refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in both provinces.

He added that the WHO prepared for the rainy season by prepositioning supplies and requesting more cholera vaccines as they expected some disease outbreaks during the rainy season.

Dr. Sahbani also welcomes the Sovereignty Council’s decision to open the Adre crossing from Chad to allow the entry of much needed aid to Darfur and Kordofan, which are inaccessible from Port Sudan due to the ongoing civil war.

Contagious diseases, including cholera and conjunctivitis, are spreading rapidly in Sudan due to the prolonged conflict that has severely impacted the country's health sector, compounded by annual heavy rains and floods.

The country is also suffering the world’s largest hunger crisis with 25.6 million people in acute hunger and a healthcare system in disarray due to the lack of access to aid in many of the country’s provinces.

Out of these five states, Kassala is reporting the highest number of cases with 473 patients, followed by Gedaref with 110, and Al Jazirah with 51, while Khartoum and River Nile are reporting fewer numbers, the official stressed.

A three-day oral cholera vaccination campaign in Kassala State has ended, deploying 51,000 doses to cover 97% of the eligible population in high-caseload areas.

WHO supported the campaign and is preparing to request additional doses from the ICG (International Coordinating Group) for a second campaign, which has been approved with 455,081 doses allocated for high-risk areas in Kassala State, Sahbani mentioned.