Cholera has spread across 17 of Sudan’s states, with tens of thousands of infections and more than 1,800 deaths recorded by mid-2025, the World Health Organization said, warning the outbreak could spill into neighboring countries, including Chad and border refugee camps.
UNICEF said more than 640,000 children under five in North Darfur are at risk. Since August 2024, the state has logged over 94,000 suspected cases and 2,370 deaths, according to the agency.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said hospitals in Darfur are under heavy strain amid shortages of medicines and supplies. Some displaced families receive as little as three liters of water per person per day—well below emergency standards—raising the risk of waterborne disease in already precarious camp settings.
The General Coordination for IDPs and Refugees reported 270 new cholera cases and six additional deaths, bringing its cumulative tally since the start of the outbreak to 10,297 confirmed infections and 416 deaths. The group urged the WHO and humanitarian agencies to launch an urgent response in camps and surrounding villages.
According to the coordination body, transmission remains active in Jebel Marra, Tawila, Zalingei and Nyala, as well as displacement sites including Kalma, Otash and Dereige, where isolation capacity, medicines and basic medical supplies are scarce. It described the situation as a “forgotten humanitarian catastrophe” amid prolonged conflict, hunger and disease.
Editor’s note: Figures above are agency reports from WHO, UNICEF, MSF and the IDP coordination; discrepancies may reflect differing coverage, definitions and access constraints during the crisis.
