Cholera epidemic in Khartoum: Over 70 dead within two days!

Cholera epidemic in Khartoum: Over 70 dead within two days!

In the Sudanese capital Khartoum, a cholera outbreak has devastating effects, with at least 70 deaths within just two days. According to Al Jazera Local health authorities reported on Thursday of 942 new infections and 25 further deaths after 1,177 cases and the previous day 45 deaths were recorded. The situation is particularly worrying, since the city has been affected by fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary rapid support forces (RSF) for over two years and the health and medical infrastructure has been severely impaired.

The cholera spread is reinforced by the loss of access to water and electrical energy, which this month was based on drone attacks that are attributed to the RSF. While the army-supported government gives RSF fighters away from their last bases in KhartouM, access to medical care is still severely restricted, since about 90% of hospitals do not work in conflict zones.

serious health emergency

Since August 2024, over 65,000 suspected cases of cholera and at least 1,600 deaths have been documented throughout Sudan. The section in Khartoum alone recorded 7,700 cases and 185 deaths, including more than 1,000 infections in children under the age of five. Unicef ​​warns that more than a million children are affected by Khartoum in cholera-hazardous areas.

The coming rainy season is expected to further increase the spread of the disease and restrict humanitarian access. According to a report of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) 52% of the necessary capacity. This is in the context of a variety of diseases that increase due to conflicts and food shortages, including measles, hepatitis and malaria.

reactions of the aid organizations

The IRC expresses great concern about the return of cholera in Khartoum and all of Sudan. They plan to expand their health and washing measures in KhartouM, in particular training courses for health personnel and the support of health centers. In view of the great financial gap, in which 86% of the funds required for the humanitarian reaction plan remain unfulfilled by the middle of 2025, the situation is still critical.

adjustments in the programs were made to meet the increasingly humanitarian needs since the beginning of the conflict in 2023. The planned measures include the support of fast reaction teams, the implementation of risk communication campaigns and the distribution of hygiene kits.

In the light of these alarming developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) points out that this cholera epidemic could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, as more than 1,600 chola-related deaths are known in Sudan. The country faces enormous challenges, which are tightened by persistent violence and the associated humanitarian crises, as on