Cholera Outbreak Kills At Least 22 People In Sudan, Says Health Minister

Cholera outbreaks in Sudan have killed at least 22 people and infected hundreds in recent weeks. Sudan's Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said on Sunday that 354 confirmed cases of cholera have been detected in the country in recent weeks. The cholera outbreak has further strained the war-torn nation's healthcare system, prompting concerns about the spread of the disease.

The health minister noted that the outbreak was “because of the weather conditions and because drinking water has been contaminated," reported Al Jazeera. At the same time, Margaret Harris, an official from the World Health Organization (WHO), said that Sudan has reported 11,327 cholera cases with 316 deaths so far. The previous outbreak in the country reportedly left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months in 2017.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated. It affects people with inadequate access to safe water and basic sanitation, and children under five are at particular risk. On the other hand, Sudan is witnessing a severe conflict as fighting erupted between forces loyal to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), nearly 10 million people have been forcibly displaced in the country since the war broke out.