PORT SUDAN — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Sudan’s cholera outbreak could worsen in conflict-affected areas as fighting, displacement and the arrival of the rainy season create conditions that may accelerate disease transmission, the agency said on Friday.
The WHO said the outbreak, declared on June 27, 2026, has spread particularly in parts of Darfur and Kordofan, where humanitarian access and health services have been severely disrupted by ongoing conflict. The agency reported at least 114 deaths and more than 1,300 infections linked to the outbreak, with a case fatality rate of 13.7%.
WHO officials said heavy rains could increase risks by worsening access to safe water and sanitation, while population movements caused by the war are making containment efforts more difficult. The agency said displaced communities living in overcrowded conditions face heightened vulnerability to waterborne diseases.
Sudan’s health system has been severely damaged since fighting began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. WHO said in April that disease outbreaks were increasing as health facilities were damaged, medical supplies became harder to obtain and millions of people lost access to essential care.
“Conflict, displacement and attacks on health care have left millions without access to essential health services,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in April, warning that health workers need safe conditions and supplies to respond effectively.
The latest cholera resurgence follows an earlier outbreak that Sudan declared over in March 2026 after no new cases were reported for 48 days. That outbreak, which began in 2024, affected all 18 states and resulted in more than 124,000 cases and over 3,500 deaths, according to WHO.
WHO said areas including the besieged city of al-Obeid in North Kordofan are facing severe pressure as violence limits humanitarian operations and places additional strain on health facilities.
The agency has called for expanded access for humanitarian workers, protection of health facilities and continued support for vaccination, water, sanitation and treatment programs. WHO said it is working with Sudanese health authorities and partners to strengthen outbreak response efforts in affected areas.
The WHO said monitoring of the outbreak and emergency response activities would continue as Sudan enters the rainy season, when health authorities expect conditions to remain challenging in conflict zones.
