Cholera kills 30, infects 800 in Sudan's West Kordofan: Group

Outbreak in West Kordofan

Dar Hamar Emergency Room on Sunday reported 30 deaths from a cholera outbreak in Sudan's West Kordofan state since June 20, noting that 800 people have been infected across more than 25 villages in the arid western region. The humanitarian organization said the outbreak has hit Wad Banda and Al-Nahud localities hardest, spreading to neighboring settlements amid deteriorating sanitary conditions caused by months of armed conflict. "Statistics to date show 30 deaths and 800 cholera infections across more than 25 villages," it said, appealing to humanitarian organizations and health authorities to intervene urgently to provide the medicines, intravenous fluids, and medical supplies needed to contain the epidemic.

Official health data

The Sudanese Health Ministry on Tuesday stated that 911 cholera cases have been confirmed across West and North Kordofan, including 127 fatalities, according to official figures released in Khartoum. The ministry's data suggests the outbreak has accelerated in recent weeks, overwhelming local medical facilities already strained by war-induced supply shortages and displacement crises. Medical teams have established temporary treatment centers in the affected localities, though access to remote villages remains limited by security concerns and damaged infrastructure.

Conflict backdrop

Sudan has been gripped by civil war since April 2023, when clashes erupted between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces over plans to integrate the paramilitary group into the military. The conflict has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million people across the country and into neighboring states. International aid agencies have struggled to reach affected populations as fighting continues, leaving many regions without clean water, sanitation infrastructure, or adequate medical supplies to treat waterborne diseases.