Sudan falls deeper into crisis as cholera outbreak kills 70

At least 70 people have died from cholera in Sudan’s capital within 48 hours, health officials confirmed on May 29th, according to France 24 and AFP.

Khartoum continues to face a deepening health crisis after over two years of conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Khartoum state health ministry recorded 1,177 cases and 45 deaths on May 27th, followed by 942 new infections and 25 additional deaths on May 28th.

The surge in infections comes weeks after drone strikes targeting Port Sudan, disabled water and electricity infrastructure across the city, the BBC reported on May 10th.

The strikes caused a power outage across the city, with the national electricity company saying that, in addition to a military base, the drones hit the main power substation of Port Sudan, France 24 and AFP reported on May 6th

Health and sanitation systems are near collapse, with an estimated 90% of hospitals in the main conflict zones no longer functioning. The cholera outbreak has added to the strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system.

The federal health ministry reported 172 cholera-related deaths in the week leading up to May 27th, with 90 percent of fatalities occurring in Khartoum state alone.

While authorities noted that nearly 89% of patients in isolation centers are recovering, they warned that poor environmental conditions continue to fuel the outbreak.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s spokesman, said cholera vaccinations had started in Jebel Awila, Khartoum’s worst-hit district. The World Health Organization has delivered over 22 metric tons of emergency medical supplies in support of local response efforts.

The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) highlighted ‘significant discrepancies” in available data which make “it difficult to determine the outbreak’s full scope.”

Cholera is endemic to Sudan, but outbreaks have intensified since the onset of war. Since August 2024, health officials have recorded over 65,000 cases and more than 1,700 deaths across 12 of Sudan’s 18 states. In Khartoum alone, more than 7,700 cases have been documented since January, including over 1,000 among children under five.

“Sudan is on the brink of a full-scale public health disaster,” said Eatizaz Yousif, Sudan director for the International Rescue Committee. She added: “The combination of conflict, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to clean water is fuelling the resurgence of cholera and other deadly diseases.”

With the rainy season expected to begin next month, aid agencies are warning that disease transmission may accelerate further, while humanitarian access becomes even more restricted.

UNICEF estimates that over one million children are currently at risk in cholera-affected areas in Khartoum.

France 24 and AFP, BBC