Sudan is currently battling its most severe cholera outbreak in years, with over 2,470 deaths and nearly 100,000 suspected cases reported since the outbreak was declared a year ago by the Ministry of Health. This deadly outbreak has been fueled by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023 and continues to devastate the country.
The Darfur region, especially the town of Tawila in North Darfur, is the epicenter of the outbreak. Tawila has seen an influx of approximately 380,000 displaced people fleeing violence near El-Fasher, a besieged state capital. Residents there survive on less than three liters of water daily—far below the World Health Organization's minimum guideline of 7.5 liters per person for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. This dire water scarcity combined with overcrowded displacement camps and damaged infrastructure has made it nearly impossible to maintain proper hygiene, significantly worsening the spread of cholera.
Medical facilities are overwhelmed. Tawila Hospital’s cholera treatment center has only 130 beds but faced a surge of 400 patients in the first week of August 2025, forcing staff to treat patients on mattresses on the floor. Similar challenges are faced in other areas, such as Golo in Central Darfur, which rapidly overran its 73-bed cholera treatment center.
The outbreak is spreading rapidly beyond Darfur to other parts of Sudan and neighboring countries including Chad and South Sudan, due to population displacement and the movement of refugees.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and UNICEF are actively responding, providing treatment and raising awareness, but access remains difficult due to ongoing violence and logistical barriers. UNICEF has reported more than 640,000 children under five in North Darfur are at risk, with malnutrition further increasing vulnerability to cholera.
The conflict continues to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, destroying infrastructure critical for clean water supply and healthcare delivery, while heavy rains have worsened water contamination.
Global health and aid organizations are urgently calling for sustained humanitarian access, increased funding, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict to prevent further loss of life from this cholera epidemic.
This outbreak highlights the tragic intersection of war, displacement, and disease, posing one of the gravest public health emergencies Sudan has faced in years.