At least 40 people have died from cholera in Sudan’s Darfur region, marking the country’s worst outbreak in years, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The outbreak, which began a year ago, has spread rapidly across the region, with MSF teams treating over 2,300 patients and recording 40 deaths in the past week alone.
MSF described the situation as “beyond urgent,” with millions forced from their homes by the conflict struggling to access clean water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. “On top of an all-out war, people in Sudan are now experiencing the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years,” the group said in a statement. “In the Darfur region alone, MSF teams treated over 2,300 patients and recorded 40 deaths in the past week.”
The bacterial infection, transmitted through contaminated food and water, can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. It can kill within hours without treatment, though simple oral rehydration or antibiotics can save lives. Heavy rains have further contaminated water sources and damaged sewage systems, MSF warned, while people fleeing the fighting are carrying the disease into neighboring Chad and South Sudan.
In Tawila, North Darfur, where about 380,000 people have fled ongoing fighting near el-Fasher, residents survive on just 3 liters (3.2qt) of water per day – less than half the emergency minimum of 7.5 liters (8qt) per person. “In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources and many contract cholera,” said Sylvain Penicaud, MSF’s project coordinator in Tawila. “Just two weeks ago, a body was found in a well inside one of the camps. It was removed, but within two days, people were forced to drink from that same water again.”
MSF has opened a 160-bed cholera treatment center in Tawila, with plans to expand to 200 beds, but both centers are already overwhelmed. The charity is warning of a dire situation, with the outbreak spreading well beyond displacement camps into multiple localities across Darfur states and beyond. “Survivors of war must not be left to die from a preventable disease,” said Tuna Turkmen, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan.
Nationwide, health authorities have reported 99,700 suspected cases and 2,470 deaths linked to cholera since August 2023. In response to the outbreak, health officials launched a 10-day vaccination drive in the capital, Khartoum, to slow the fast-moving outbreak worsened by war, mass displacement, and heavy rainfall. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has devastated the region and pushed millions towards famine.
Sudan’s war, which began in Khartoum in April 2023, has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced an estimated 12 million, and pushed millions towards famine. The country is facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with aid agencies warning of dire conditions for civilians trapped inside. The international community is urged to take immediate action to address the crisis and prevent further loss of life.