The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a grave warning about the escalating cholera crisis in war-torn Sudan, where the disease has spread to 13 states and claimed at least 1,854 lives. Officials now fear the outbreak could spill into neighboring countries, particularly Chad, where hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees live in overcrowded and unsanitary camps.
Speaking via video link from Port Sudan, Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO’s representative in Sudan, said the situation has become increasingly dangerous due to the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has devastated health services and disrupted clean water access.
“If we don’t act now to invest in prevention, surveillance, vaccination, and public awareness, cholera may spread across the region,” Dr. Sahbani warned.
Hardest-hit regions include North and South Darfur, both bordering Chad. Conditions in the refugee camps across the border are described as precarious, with little access to clean water or adequate healthcare, heightening the risk of a cross-border outbreak.
Refugee Crisis Deepens Health Risks
According to the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, François Batalingaya, over 300,000 Sudanese refugees are currently living in makeshift camps near the border. He warned that without urgent international assistance, a potential cholera outbreak there could be catastrophic.
“In overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, even a few cases can escalate quickly into a major epidemic,” he said, adding that limited humanitarian funding is compounding the risks.
Though no confirmed cholera cases have been reported in Chad yet, suspected infections in Geneina, a town just 10 kilometers from the border, have raised alarms. There is also weak disease surveillance along the Libya–Sudan frontier, increasing concerns of further spread.
Conflict Disrupts Health Services
The civil war, now entering its third year, has shattered healthcare infrastructure across Sudan. In Khartoum, where the army has recently regained control, drone attacks have disabled electricity and water networks—critical to containing cholera and other diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Despite these challenges, WHO reports a decline in cholera fatality rates around Khartoum, credited to an oral cholera vaccination campaign launched earlier this month. However, the organization emphasizes that gains could be reversed without sustained international engagement.
Urgent Call for Humanitarian Access
Dr. Sahbani called for temporary ceasefires and the creation of humanitarian corridors to enable healthcare workers to deliver vaccines and clean water supplies.
“The current outbreak is a warning signal. We need global attention and urgent action to prevent this from turning into a regional epidemic,” he said.
With millions displaced and access to healthcare severely restricted, WHO and other humanitarian agencies are appealing for funding and global support to avert further disaster.
