Dozens die in Sudan's 'worst' cholera outbreak in years

At least 40 people have died in Sudan's Darfur region in one week, as the country struggles to contain its worst cholera outbreak in years, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday.

The medical charity said the vast western region, which has been a major battleground for over two years between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, had been hardest hit by the year-old outbreak.

"On top of an all-out war, people in Sudan are now experiencing the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years," MSF said in a statement.

The NGO said 2,470 cholera-related deaths had been reported in the year to August 11, out of 99,700 suspected cases.

"In the Darfur region alone, MSF teams treated over 2,300 patients and recorded 40 deaths in the past week," MSF added.

Viral infection

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from faeces.

It causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps.

Cholera can kill within hours when not attended to, though it can be treated with simple oral rehydration, and antibiotics for more severe cases.

There has been a global increase in cholera cases, which have also spread geographically, since 2021.

MSF said mass displacements of civilians sparked by the war in Sudan had aggravated the outbreak by denying people access to clean water for essential hygiene measures, such as washing dishes and food.

"The situation is most extreme in Tawila, North Darfur state, where 380,000 people have fled to escape ongoing fighting around the city of El-Fasher, according to the United Nations," MSF said.