Sudan’s Health Ministry has officially declared a cholera epidemic after a surge in cases led to 22 confirmed deaths. The announcement, made by Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim over the weekend, underscores the deepening crisis in the nation already grappling with the aftermath of severe flooding and an ongoing 16-month conflict.
Cholera Outbreak Worsens Amid Floods and Conflict
In a statement released Saturday, Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim confirmed the epidemic, attributing it to contaminated drinking water and adverse weather conditions. The decision, he explained, was made in consultation with local authorities in the eastern state of Kassala, United Nations agencies, and health experts, following the detection of the cholera virus by Sudan’s public health laboratory.
As of now, at least 22 deaths have been linked to cholera, with 354 confirmed cases identified across the country. However, Ibrahim did not specify the timeline for these deaths or the tally since the beginning of the year.
WHO Reports Higher Toll
The World Health Organization (WHO) provided a more alarming update, reporting 78 cholera-related deaths and over 2,400 cases in Sudan between January 1 and July 28 of this year. Cholera, a rapidly spreading and highly contagious bacterial infection, causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, often leading to death if untreated. It is typically spread through contaminated food and water sources.
A Nation in Crisis
This cholera outbreak adds to Sudan’s mounting challenges. The country has been in turmoil since April last year when long-standing tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group erupted into full-scale warfare. The conflict has devastated the capital, Khartoum, and other urban centers, decimating civilian infrastructure and further crippling an already fragile healthcare system. The war has resulted in thousands of deaths and has pushed countless others to the brink of starvation, with famine already reported in a large displaced persons camp in Darfur.
Displacement and Humanitarian Disaster
The ongoing conflict has led to what is now the world’s largest displacement crisis, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 10.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the fighting began, with over 2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
The humanitarian situation has been exacerbated by recent seasonal floods, which have wreaked havoc across 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces. Local authorities report dozens of fatalities and significant damage to critical infrastructure, with about 118,000 people displaced by the floods, according to the UN migration agency.
A History of Cholera
Cholera outbreaks are not new to Sudan. A major outbreak in 2017 claimed at least 700 lives and infected around 22,000 people in less than two months. The current epidemic began in the eastern province of Kassala and has since spread to nine localities across five provinces.
According to WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević, most of the recent cholera cases were among unvaccinated individuals. The WHO is now collaborating with Sudanese health authorities and international partners to roll out a vaccination campaign aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.
Diplomatic Efforts Amid Crisis
Amid these multiple crises, Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council announced on Sunday that it would send a government delegation to Cairo for talks with U.S. officials. This move comes in response to mounting pressure from the United States for Sudan’s military leaders to engage in ongoing peace negotiations in Switzerland, aimed at finding a resolution to the conflict.
As Sudan battles cholera, conflict, and natural disasters, the country stands at a critical juncture, with the lives of millions hanging in the balance.