A wave of severe diarrhea, vomiting and other unexplained symptoms is sweeping through Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, as health workers and independent sources warn the outbreak may be linked to a suspected chemical gas leak earlier this month.
Patients are forced to receive intravenous fluids in the streets near overcrowded hospitals and isolation centers. Volunteers say official figures understate the true scale of the crisis. While the Sudanese Health Ministry reports about 700 new cases a week, independent sources say more than 1,000 people are falling ill each day.
The number of deaths remains unclear. Volunteers said at least 1,500 people have died in the past three days alone.
The outbreak comes after a suspected SAF chemical weapons storage depot caught fire in Omdurman on May 20, releasing toxic gas over parts of the city. That incident — reportedly involving mustard gas — has raised concerns that chemical contamination may be fueling the health emergency.
Journalists and health workers have described dire scenes in Omdurman and other neighborhoods. Reporter Mashair Ahmed said she saw a body lying at the entrance of Omdurman’s Noh Hospital, with patients moaning in pain and relatives holding IV bags due to a lack of equipment. Many patients have retreated to the shade of trees in the intense heat.
Activist Ghassan Genaro said witnesses in Omdurman reported three deaths every 10 minutes.
A shortage of medicines, intravenous fluids and medical staff has worsened the outbreak, with about 75% of hospitals out of service because of the ongoing conflict. The few remaining facilities are struggling with minimal resources.
Public health expert Adeeba al-Sayed attributed the surge in cases to the collapse of Sudan’s healthcare system, environmental contamination and poor water quality. “The situation is catastrophic,” she said, adding that food insecurity has also worsened conditions.
Tests for cholera have largely come back negative, suggesting other forms of severe waterborne illness or chemical-related poisoning could be to blame, said Salama Toto, a former member of the World Health Organization’s emergency committee.
Al-Fateh Omar, health sector head for the Sudanese Congress Party, said some patients were experiencing symptoms like eye bleeding and skin ulcers that have not been fully identified and could be linked to chemical exposure. “The situation is catastrophic and complicated,” he said, warning that the true number of cases and deaths is likely far higher than reported.
