The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday that Sudan’s cholera outbreak is set to worsen and could spread to neighboring countries, particularly Chad, which hosts hundreds of thousands of Sudanese civil war refugees in overcrowded conditions.
The two-year conflict between the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces has caused widespread hunger and disease, destroying health facilities.
Recent drone attacks in Khartoum have disrupted essential services, leading to a rise in cholera cases.
Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative for Sudan, expressed concern about the spreading cholera, which has reached 13 Sudanese states, including North and South Darfur, bordering Chad.
He noted 1,854 deaths in the latest wave as the rainy season begins.
Sahbani emphasized the need for investment in prevention, surveillance, early warning systems, vaccination, and public education to prevent the disease’s regional spread.
He also called for humanitarian corridors and temporary ceasefires to facilitate mass vaccination campaigns against cholera, Dengue fever, and malaria.
Cholera, a severe diarrheal disease, spreads rapidly through untreated sewage and contaminated drinking water.
Sahbani highlighted the high risk for Sudanese refugees, including those who survived attacks in Darfur and are now in cramped, unsanitary border sites in Chad.
François Batalingaya, U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, echoed these concerns, describing devastating potential for an outbreak among 300,000 stranded individuals with limited aid.
While cholera is not yet confirmed in Chad, suspected cases have been reported in Geneina, Sudan, just 10 km away.
Sahbani also noted low disease surveillance on the Libyan border, indicating a potential spread there.
Case fatality rates have decreased in Khartoum due to an oral cholera vaccination campaign.