WHO: Nearly 100,000 people infected with cholera in Sudan

(Patria) - The World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly 100,000 cases of cholera have been reported in Sudan since July last year, warning of impending hunger, displacement, and disease.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tens of thousands of people have died in the fighting, AFP recalls.

"In Sudan, relentless violence has led to widespread hunger, disease, and suffering," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Cholera has hit Sudan, with all states reporting outbreaks. Nearly 100,000 cases have been reported since July last year."

Oral cholera vaccination campaigns have been conducted in several states, including the capital Khartoum, he told a press conference.

"While we are seeing a downward trend in the number of cases, there are gaps in disease surveillance, and progress is fragile," he said.

"Recent floods, which have affected large parts of the country, are expected to worsen hunger and fuel new outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, and other diseases."

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from feces, and causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. It can kill within hours if left untreated, and can be treated with simple oral rehydration and antibiotics for severe cases.

There has been a global increase in cholera cases and their geographical spread since 2021.

Malnutrition

Regarding hunger, Ghebreyesus said there are reports from El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state, that people are eating animal feed to survive.

Across the country, millions are starving, and about 770,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.

"In the first six months of this year, nutrition centers supported by WHO treated more than 17,000 severely malnourished children with medical complications. But many more are out of reach."

WHO's efforts are hampered by limited access and lack of funding. WHO has received less than a third of the money it requested to provide emergency health assistance in Sudan. As long as the violence continues, "we can expect more hunger, more displacement, and more disease," Ghebreyesus said.