Cholera spreads across Sudan's Darfur, killing dozens as civilians flee conflict

Sudan is facing its worst cholera outbreak in years, with at least 40 people dying in the Darfur region, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on August 14.

The humanitarian organisation, quoted by French media, reported that the vast western region — long a major battleground in more than two years of fighting between the Sudanese regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces — has been hardest hit by the year-old epidemic.

“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. “In the Darfur region alone, our teams treated over 2,300 patients and recorded 40 deaths in the past week.”

According to the NGO, a total of 2,470 cholera-related deaths had been reported across the country from the start of the outbreak through August 11, out of 99,700 suspected cases.

Cholera, an acute intestinal infection, spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from faeces. The disease causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and muscle cramps, and can be fatal within hours if untreated. It can be treated with oral rehydration solutions and, in severe cases, antibiotics. Global cholera cases and their geographical reach have increased steadily since 2021.

MSF emphasised that the massive displacement of civilians caused by the war in Sudan has worsened the outbreak by limiting access to clean water necessary for hygiene, including washing food and dishes.

“The situation is most extreme in Tawila, North Darfur, where 380,000 people have fled fighting around El-Fasher, according to the United Nations,” MSF said. “People in Tawila survive with an average of just three litres of water per day—less than half the emergency minimum of 7.5 litres per person per day required for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.”

The cholera crisis is further compounded by contaminated water supplies. Since the Sudanese army recaptured the capital Khartoum in March, fighting has shifted back to Darfur, where paramilitary forces are attempting to seize El-Fasher. The city remains the last major urban centre in the region under army control, and UN agencies have described dire conditions for civilians trapped there.

“In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources, leading to widespread cholera,” said Sylvain Penicaud, MSF project coordinator in Tawila. “Just two weeks ago, a body was found in a well inside one of the camps. It was removed, but within two days, people were forced to drink from that same water again.”

MSF noted that heavy rains are aggravating the outbreak by contaminating water supplies and damaging sewage systems, while civilian movements are spreading the disease further. “As people flee the fighting, cholera is spreading within Sudan and into neighbouring Chad and South Sudan,” the organisation said.

Tuna Turkmen, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan, described the situation as “beyond urgent.” She warned that the outbreak has spread well beyond displacement camps, affecting multiple localities across Darfur and beyond.

“Survivors of war must not be left to die from a preventable disease,” Turkmen said.

By Tamilla Hasanova