Cholera kills 40 People in Sudan’s Darfur amid worsening conflict

At least 40 people have died from cholera in Sudan’s Darfur region in what Doctors Without Borders (MSF) describes as the country’s worst outbreak in years. The western region, already devastated by more than two years of fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is bearing the brunt of an epidemic that began a year ago.

Nationwide, health authorities have recorded more than 99,000 suspected cholera cases and 2,470 deaths since August 2023. The disease, spread through contaminated food and water, can kill within hours without treatment, but oral rehydration and antibiotics can save lives.

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MSF says millions displaced by the conflict struggle to access clean water, with some in North Darfur surviving on less than half the emergency daily minimum. Heavy rains have worsened conditions by contaminating water sources and damaging sewage systems, while the disease has spread into neighbouring Chad and South Sudan.

The United Nations has warned of dire conditions for civilians trapped inside, as Sudan’s war has killed over 40,000 people and displaced an estimated 12 million.