PORT SUDAN—The World Health Organization warned on Friday that Sudan's latest cholera outbreak could worsen rapidly as intensified fighting, mass displacement and the onset of the rainy season create conditions for wider transmission, while conflict continues to restrict access to health care and humanitarian assistance.
The outbreak, declared on June 27, has caused at least 114 deaths and more than 1,300 infections, according to the WHO. The agency said the disease has spread in parts of Darfur and Kordofan, where continuing hostilities have damaged health services, disrupted water and sanitation systems, and limited the movement of aid workers.
WHO officials said the city of Al Obeid in North Kordofan faces particular risks as violence escalates and medical facilities struggle to cope with growing demand. The agency reported a case fatality rate of about 13.7%, well above the level normally expected when patients receive prompt treatment, reflecting severe constraints on access to care.
"The combination of active conflict, displacement and seasonal rains creates ideal conditions for cholera transmission," WHO said, warning that the situation could deteriorate further unless humanitarian access improves and response efforts are expanded.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The war has displaced millions of people and devastated essential infrastructure, leaving large numbers of families without reliable access to safe drinking water, sanitation or health services.
According to WHO, more than 33 million people across Sudan require humanitarian assistance, while around 21 million need health services. Aid agencies say insecurity, damaged infrastructure and restrictions on humanitarian operations continue to hamper disease surveillance, treatment and vaccination campaigns.
UNICEF has also warned that multiple disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and hepatitis E, are spreading amid continuing displacement and deteriorating living conditions. The agency said funding shortfalls are limiting efforts to expand water, sanitation and hygiene services in high-risk communities despite ongoing emergency operations.
Humanitarian agencies say heavy seasonal rains are expected to increase contamination of water sources and complicate aid deliveries to conflict-affected areas, raising concerns that additional infections could emerge in the coming weeks.
WHO said it is continuing to work with Sudanese health authorities and humanitarian partners to strengthen surveillance, expand treatment capacity and support vaccination and water-sanitation interventions, while reiterating calls for safe and sustained humanitarian access to affected populations.
