Sudan’s Cholera Storm Claims 40 Lives Amid Record Outbreak – MSF Reports
Sudan’s Darfur Region Faces a Renewed Cholera Crisis Amid Ongoing Conflict
In the war‑torn western region of Darfur, at least 40 people have lost their lives in a cholera outbreak that has become the country’s worst in years. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported the devastating toll on Thursday.
MSF’s On‑Ground Response
- Over 2,300 patients have been treated in Darfur, with 40 deaths recorded last week.
- To date, 2,470 casualties have been linked to cholera out of 99,700 suspected cases.
- In the capital city of El‑Fasher, authorities estimate that 380,000 civilians have fled to the neighboring town of Tawila in search of safety.
Impact of War‑Induced Displacement on Cholera Spread
MSF cautioned that the conflict’s mass displacement of civilians has severely hampered access to clean water, a key hygiene measure. In the besieged city of Tawila, residents survive on an average of only three litres of water per day—less than half the emergency minimum of 7.5 litres required for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene.
Corrosive Contamination in Water Sources
Heavy rains have further contaminated water supplies and damaged sewage systems, exacerbating the outbreak. A body was discovered in a well inside one of the camps two weeks ago, and within two days, the community was forced to drink from that same water source again, according to MSF’s project coordinator in Tawila.
Regional Spread Beyond Darfur
According to MSF, the outbreak is now spreading into numerous localities across multiple states in Darfur, and it has even reached neighboring Chad and South Sudan. As displaced persons move away from combat zones, cholera is proliferating farther across the region.
Urgent Call for Intervention
MSF’s head of mission in Sudan, Tuna Turkmen, described the situation as “beyond urgent.” He urged that survivors of war must not be left to die from a preventable disease.
