Over 2000 cholera deaths recorded in Sudan

SUDAN: CHOLERA is hitting hard in Sudan, as the Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday 91,034 cholera cases, including 2,302 deaths, across 116 localities in 17 states, since the outbreak of the epidemic last July.

Between July 12 and 18, a total of 1,307 cholera cases were recorded, including 18 deaths, across 35 localities in 12 states, the ministry said in a statement.

Tawila locality in North Darfur State recorded the highest number of infections with 519 cases during the week, while Bileil locality in South Darfur State reported the highest number of deaths, according to the ministry.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently warned that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is worsening amid the deadly cholera outbreak, floods, and mass returns to underserved areas.

Sudan is experiencing a seasonal outbreak of several diseases, particularly those associated with the rainy season, including malaria, cholera, and dengue fever.

The country also remains gripped by a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023.

The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.

At present, 70 to 80 percent of medical institutions in the conflict areas of Sudan are unable to operate normally, and more than 250 hospitals across the country have been forced to close.

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Meanwhile, the spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres has said the UN continues to be gravely concerned about the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and tightening access constraints across Sudan, particularly in the Kordofan region, where hostilities continue to escalate.

Briefing the media in New York on Wednesday, Stéphane Dujarric said in South Kordofan State, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), citing local sources, reported that clashes erupted on Tuesday in the besieged city of Kadugli, which is the state capital.

“Armed individuals reportedly attempted to seize food from the main market. As Sudan’s hunger crisis deepens, the city remains cut off from humanitarian assistance, with the last supply route from neighbouring North Kordofan now blocked,” he said.

Meanwhile, in West Darfur State, heavy rains and flooding threaten to further disrupt the delivery of aid.

“Roads connecting the state capital Geneina, which is, as you well know, located next to the crucial Adre border crossing with Chad, the road from Geneina to Mornei and Zalingei, in Central Darfur State, are now impassable,” he reported.

“Both of these towns are hosting large numbers of displaced people. UN humanitarian partners warn that continued rains may further cut off access into Central and South Darfur states, making it even more difficult to reach people who need help so desperately.”

Dujarric said that in North Darfur State, displaced communities and host families in the town of Tawila have come together to establish community kitchens, which are now feeding thousands of people who fled violence in El Fasher.

“These kitchens have become a vital lifeline for those without any other access to food. However, they face chronic and severe funding shortfalls. Many of these are struggling to stay open, and some risk shutting down altogether due to lack of resources,” he said.

“As the Spokesman for the Secretary-General mentioned yesterday, the UN and its partners are planning a major scale-up of support for people in Tawila, which requires $120 million over the next three months.”

“Humanitarian access is further complicated by checkpoint taxes, by roadblocks, and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by local authorities, including requirements for multiple levels of approval to establish the most basic services for the population,” Dujarric added.

He said that the UN appeals for unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan, more international funding to scale up the response, the protection of civilians and aid workers, and an immediate cessation of hostilities.