War, Displacement, and Rain Fuel Deadly Outbreak in Darfur
Sudan is facing its deadliest cholera outbreak in years, with at least 40 people reported dead in the Darfur region, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The outbreak, which began a year ago, has been exacerbated by ongoing conflict, mass displacement, and seasonal rains.
MSF said on Thursday that Darfur, 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 the outbreak. “On top of an all-out war, people in Sudan are now experiencing the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years,” the charity said. In Darfur alone, MSF teams treated over 2,300 patients in the past week, recording 40 deaths.
Nationwide, Sudanese health authorities have reported 99,700 suspected cases and 2,470 deaths linked to cholera since August 2023. The bacterial infection, spread through contaminated food and water, can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle cramps, and can be fatal within hours if untreated. Simple oral rehydration or antibiotics, however, can save lives.
On Wednesday, health officials launched a 10-day vaccination campaign in Khartoum, aimed at slowing the rapid spread of the disease. Millions of people displaced by the conflict struggle to access clean water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. In Tawila, North Darfur, where around 380,000 people have fled fighting near el-Fasher, residents survive on just three liters of water per day—less than half the emergency minimum of 7.5 liters per person.
“In displacement and refugee camps, families often have no choice but to drink from contaminated sources, leading to cholera infections,” 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. Although it was removed, within two days people were forced to drink from that same water again.”
Since the army retook Khartoum in March, fighting has intensified in Darfur, with the RSF attempting to capture el-Fasher, the last major city in the region still under army control. The United Nations has described the conditions for civilians trapped in the fighting as dire.
Heavy rains have further contaminated water sources and damaged sewage systems, while fleeing populations carry the disease into neighboring Chad and South Sudan. MSF’s head of mission in Sudan, Tuna Turkmen, called the situation “beyond urgent,” warning that the outbreak is spreading well beyond displacement camps into multiple localities across Darfur and beyond.
Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed over 40,000 lives, displaced roughly 12 million people, and pushed millions toward famine. The combination of conflict and disease underscores the urgent need for humanitarian aid to prevent further tragedy.