Cholera Outbreak in Sudan Claims 172 Lives Amid Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

A cholera outbreak in Sudan has resulted in 172 deaths and over 2,500 illnesses in just one week, primarily affecting Khartoum and Omdurman. The outbreak has intensified due to the civil war’s destruction of health infrastructure and lack of clean water. The World Health Organization cites regional cholera spikes as a consequence of poverty and conflict, further complicated by insufficient vaccine supplies. The unfolding crisis necessitates urgent international aid to stem the tide of illness and mortality.

CAIRO — Sudan is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak that has led to 172 fatalities and infected over 2,500 individuals in the last week. The outbreak, primarily centered in Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, has emerged as many Sudanese refugees return to the capital following the protracted civil war. Access to clean water remains a pressing issue, as the civil unrest has largely dismantled vital health and sanitation infrastructure, creating a perfect storm for the disease to flourish.

The latest figures from the Health Ministry indicate a significant surge in cholera cases, with reports rising from 90 to a staggering 815 per day within a mere ten days, from May 15 to 25. Since January, the total cases have exceeded 7,700, with children under the age of four comprising over 1,000 of those diagnoses, per UNICEF’s alarming updates. Though Khartoum and Omdurman continue to report the majority of cases, cholera has also manifested in five other provinces.

Joyce Bakker, who coordinates efforts for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan, provided insight into the crisis, noting that the organization’s treatment facilities in Omdurman are overwhelmed. The situation is distressing, with many patients arriving too late for effective treatment. “We don’t know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture,” she stated, illuminating the urgent need for more resources and better monitoring.

Khartoum and Omdurman have borne the brunt of the civil war, which has left many homes destroyed and infrastructure in tatters. An estimated 34,000 people have returned to the area since the military reclaimed control from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late March, but they now find themselves in dire conditions. Attacks on power plants have further exacerbated water shortages, as sanitary systems remain compromised. Dr. Rania Elsayegh from Doctors for Human Rights emphasized that unhygienic water usage is common, stating, “People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers.”

Healthcare experts are particularly troubled by the rapid potential spread of the outbreak, given the high concentration of people in displacement centers. Lack of medical facilities only compounds the problem. Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, representing the Doctors Union in Sudan, remarked that over 80% of hospitals are non-operational, and those functioning face chronic shortages in medicine and basic resources like water and electricity.

Cholera is classified by the World Health Organization as a disease of poverty stemming from inadequate sanitation and unclean water access. Caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium, the disease can typically be treated effectively, yet it carries a considerable risk of fatality if untreated. Alarmingly, the global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dipped below the critical threshold of 5 million doses, underscoring a significant challenge in curbing outbreaks amid rising cases worldwide due to conflict and climate disasters.

The cholera crisis in Sudan has not arisen in a vacuum. The ongoing civil war, which started in April 2023, has led to substantial casualties; estimates indicate around 24,000 deaths, with more than 14 million people displaced, many seeking refuge in neighboring nations. Humanitarian conditions are dire, marked by severe famine in at least five locations, particularly in the unstable Darfur region, while numerous reports detail atrocities that might constitute war crimes.

Furthermore, seasonal flooding has deepened the crisis. Such environmental phenomena regularly result in loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, complicating recovery efforts. Cholera outbreaks have historically been problematic in Sudan; the 2017 episode claimed 700 lives and sickened nearly 22,000 within just two months. Recent events, however, suggest the catastrophic effects of ongoing conflict, with deaths and illnesses due to other maladies like dengue and meningitis also noted in the past week.

Sudan’s health crisis presents a convoluted web of challenges. As cholera stakes a deadly claim on the already beleaguered population, the urgent need for international attention and support has never been clearer.

The cholera outbreak in Sudan has underscored the devastating intersection of conflict and public health crises. With hospitals crippled by ongoing violence and sanitation compromised, cholera poses a significant threat to the population, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. As we witness rising cases and alarming fatalities, there is an urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance and improved health infrastructure to combat this resurgence of cholera and other infectious diseases.

Original Source: www.newsday.com