At least 158 people have died from cholera in South Darfur since late May, the state health ministry reported Saturday amid more than two years of fighting between General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces. Since the first cholera case in late May, all five South Darfur states have reported infections, with South Darfur hardest hit.
The World Health Organization said the region accounts for over half of Sudan’s cholera cases, reflecting the outbreak’s rapid escalation. State health officials recorded 2,880 infections so far, including 158 deaths, with 42 new cases reported Friday, two of them fatal.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders described the outbreak as Sudan’s worst in years, warning it could spread to neighbouring countries. Cholera, an acute intestinal infection transmitted through contaminated food and water, can kill within hours if untreated but is treatable with oral rehydration.
MSF said mass civilian displacements due to conflict have worsened the outbreak, leaving people without clean water for basic hygiene practices. Humanitarian aid delivery has become nearly impossible, further compounding the crisis and leaving vulnerable populations without essential medical and sanitation support.
