Sudan's cholera crisis worsens as more cases confirmed

Sudan's Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that hundreds of cholera cases had been registered in Khartoum State over the last four weeks.

Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, in a press release, stated that the recent surge in cholera cases is estimated to be 600 to 700 cases per week over the last month.

He explained that the increase in cases was "an expected outcome following the liberation of Khartoum State and the return of many residents from Jabal Awliya and Al Salha, which led to deteriorating environmental conditions and problems with access to clean drinking water in those areas."

On Tuesday, the Sudanese army announced the completion of the "cleansing" of Khartoum State in central Sudan from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), following its takeover of Al Salha area, the last RSF stronghold in Omdurman, West of Khartoum.

Vaccination drive

The Sudanese minister noted that the Federal Health Emergency Room is working around the clock to monitor the health situation in the area and is taking necessary measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Infection rates are likely to decline in the coming weeks, particularly with the beginning of a cholera vaccination campaign in the coming days, he added.

On Friday, the Sudan Doctors Network issued an urgent appeal to address the health crisis caused by Khartoum's cholera outbreak. On Thursday alone, nine people died and 521 new cases were admitted to Omdurman's Al-Naw Teaching Hospital.

According to the latest official statistics released on May 6, the total number of cholera cases in Sudan reached 60,993, with 1,632 deaths.

National epidemic

On August 12, Sudanese authorities declared cholera a national epidemic.

Recently, the Sudanese army has regained control of most areas in Khartoum State, which includes the capital’s three cities—Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman—as well as the East Nile area.

In Sudan’s 17 other states, the RSF now controls only parts of North and West Kordofan and pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, in addition to four out of five states in the Darfur region.

Since April 2023, the RSF has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.​​​​​​​ More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, puts the death toll at around 130,000.