The World Health Organization reports a growing cholera outbreak across Sudan, warning of potential cross-border transmission to Chad and Libya amid conflict, displacement, and lack of clean water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a critical alert on the escalating cholera outbreak in Sudan, now affecting 13 states, including North and South Darfur, which share borders with Chad. As the country enters its third year of violent conflict between the national army and Rapid Support Forces, access to clean water, healthcare, and sanitation has collapsed—fueling the spread of cholera and other diseases.
According to Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO’s Representative in Sudan, 1,854 deaths have already been reported due to the outbreak.
Recent drone attacks in Khartoum have further disrupted electricity and water supply, worsening conditions for disease control. Sahbani warned that without urgent action in prevention, surveillance, vaccination, and education, the outbreak could expand beyond Sudan’s borders.
Refugee Camps in Chad at High Risk as Cross-Border Cases Emerge
With nearly 300,000 Sudanese refugees now in Chad’s overcrowded and unsanitary camps, WHO is warning of a high risk of cross-border cholera transmission. Although no confirmed cases have yet been reported in Chad, suspected infections have emerged in Geneina, Sudan—just 10 kilometers from the border. Disease surveillance on Sudan’s border with Libya is also limited, raising concern of undetected spread in that direction.
To contain the outbreak, WHO is calling for humanitarian corridors, temporary ceasefires, and mass vaccination campaigns targeting cholera, dengue, and malaria. A recent oral cholera vaccine drive in Khartoum has already begun to reduce fatality rates.
With the rainy season underway, WHO urges swift action to reinforce public health systems in Sudan and neighboring countries to prevent a wider regional health crisis.
