The ongoing civil war in Sudan has created a catastrophic health crisis, with more than 430 people succumbing to cholera in the past month alone, according to the Sudanese health ministry. The number of reported cases has surged to around 14,000, as the conflict ravages the country’s already fragile healthcare infrastructure.
Efforts to contain the outbreak are severely hampered by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has claimed up to 150,000 lives since it erupted in April 2023. The situation has been described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises by the United Nations.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that their medical teams are frequently obstructed by both warring factions, making it nearly impossible to deliver the necessary aid to affected areas. The organization highlighted the dire state of the country’s healthcare system, noting that pregnant women and newborns are dying in “shocking” numbers due to the collapse of essential medical services.
The war has displaced over nine million people, and the inability to plant crops has raised fears of widespread famine. Heavy rainfall and flooding have compounded the crisis, contributing to the rapid spread of cholera in overcrowded displacement camps.
Health Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim declared a cholera outbreak in mid-August, while MSF’s emergency coordinator for Sudan, Esperanza Santos, described the conditions as a “perfect storm” for the disease to spread. Basic hygiene supplies, such as soap and sterilized instruments, are scarce, leading to numerous cases of sepsis among mothers and newborns.
In South Darfur alone, MSF reported 114 maternal deaths between January and August, warning that the situation could be a glimpse into the grim reality unfolding across the country. Dr. Gillian Burkhardt, MSF’s sexual and reproductive health manager, emphasized the gravity of the crisis, calling it “unlike any other” she has witnessed in her career.