KHARTOUM – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Sudan’s cholera outbreak could spread further across Darfur and Kordofan, after health authorities recorded 1,330 confirmed cases and 114 deaths, raising concerns over deteriorating humanitarian conditions and limited access to healthcare.
WHO Representative in Sudan Dr. Shible Sahbani said cholera has re-emerged in several parts of the country, particularly in western Sudan, where the case fatality rate has reached about 13.7%, which he described as “extremely high.” He warned that the outbreak is likely to worsen during the rainy season.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Sahbani said the latest outbreak has claimed more than 100 lives, adding that the actual death toll is likely higher because insecurity and access constraints have limited disease surveillance and reporting in affected areas.
He also expressed concern over the situation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, where drone attacks and ongoing insecurity have disrupted humanitarian operations, increasing the risk of cholera and other disease outbreaks among residents and displaced people.
According to the WHO, health facilities in El Obeid are operating under severe pressure. The organization has pre-positioned medical supplies sufficient to treat more than 25,000 people, but warned that existing stocks are inadequate to meet growing humanitarian needs.
Sahbani said the WHO this week delivered 8.5 metric tons of medical supplies to Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan as part of a joint United Nations humanitarian convoy. It was the first aid shipment to reach Kadugli since December 2024 because of prolonged access restrictions.
The WHO estimates that more than 33 million people across Sudan require humanitarian assistance, including 21 million in need of healthcare services, while about 13.4 million people remain displaced since the conflict began in April 2023.
The organization renewed its appeal to the international community and donors to facilitate humanitarian access, warning that continued restrictions could accelerate the spread of disease, deepen malnutrition and further increase the vulnerability of civilians, particularly women and children.
