WHO warns: Cholera outbreak in Sudan at "concerning" levels

GENEVA, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that Sudan's cholera outbreak has reached a concerning level spreading to all 18 states with more than 113,600 cases and over 3,000 deaths reported nationwide.
WHO's deputy representative in Sudan Hala Khudari speaking from Port Sudan at a Geneva press briefing said, "this is really a concerning case fatality rate of 2.7 percent well above the global threshold of 1 percent." She warned that the situation in Darfur is deteriorating rapidly, noting that as of two days ago the region had recorded 12,739 cases and 358 deaths across 36 of its 64 localities, highlighting severe regional distress.
She explained the overall case fatality rate in Darfur is 2.8 percent, but among children and elderly it exceeds 5 percent, while in West Darfur alone the rate has alarmingly risen as high as 11.8 percent.
She reported that a cholera vaccination campaign launched Sunday in South and East Darfur aims to protect 1.86 million people in six priority localities including Nyala North and South, Abu Jabra and Adain.
She added that plans are also underway to extend the campaign to Tawila in North Darfur, which hosts nearly 576.000 displaced people mostly from El-Fasher and has reported over 7,400 cases 61 percent of all infections in Darfur.
Khudari stressed that while vaccination is critical, it is "only one part of a comprehensive cholera response" that also requires surveillance, treatment, clean water, sanitation, and community engagement.
WHO has delivered 77 metric tons of medical supplies in 2025 to support treatment centers and continues to coordinate with partners on the ground.
For his part UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires added that children are disproportionately affected with 380 under the age of five 240 aged five to ten and 290 between ten and twenty have already died.
Pires said the situation is very dire, stressing that over 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are nonfunctional due to attacks, shortages of supplies or staff, while millions, including children, lack safe water and depend on contaminated sources. (end) imk.ahm