Thousands of children in eastern Sudan are at risk of cholera due to a significant outbreak triggered by widespread flooding, contaminated water, and a severely weakened healthcare system following 16 months of conflict, according to a recent report released on Thursday.
Between July 22 and early September, nearly 2,900 cases of cholera and 112 deaths were reported, with the Sudanese Ministry of Health officially declaring the outbreak on August 12. However, “the actual numbers may be higher, as limited access to healthcare facilities and delays in directing patients to communities lead to significant underreporting,” noted the latest report from Health Cluster Sudan, a coalition that includes the UN, the Federal Ministry of Health, and NGOs such as Save the Children.
In El Damer, located in the Nile State, and Gedarif in Gedarif State, teams from Save the Children have observed a sharp increase in cholera cases among children under five, who account for nearly 15% of confirmed cases and deaths nationwide.
According to the National Council for Civil Defence, floods have already resulted in at least 173 fatalities and 505 injuries since June. Additionally, the floods caused the collapse of the Arbaat dam on August 24 in the Red Sea State, which served as the primary source of drinking water for the crucial humanitarian hub of Port Sudan.
Heavy rains and flooding have forced 4,300 individuals to flee displacement camps in North Darfur State, including the Zamzam camp, where famine has recently been declared.
Mohamed Abdiladif, the interim director of Save the Children in Sudan, remarked, “Children in Sudan are moving from one horror to another. Even before the conflict erupted last year, the country was already grappling with one of the largest humanitarian crises globally; natural disasters, epidemics, and economic decline had left 15.8 million people in need.”
The NGO official emphasized that this figure has now surged to 25.6 million and warned that “diseases like cholera will only continue to escalate.”
