Sudan declares new cholera outbreak months after official end to one that lasted nearly 2 years

Sudan has declared a new outbreak of cholera, the country’s Ministry of Heath reported Monday, with 117 deaths in West Kordofan state, another seven confirmed cases and 838 suspected cases as of June 20.

The announcement comes less than four months after the northeastern African country declared an end to an outbreak of the disease that began in July 2024, spread to all 18 states, infected more than 124,000 people and killed 3,573.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection which causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. It is contracted by ingesting food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

“The outbreak is unfolding amid the continued disruption of health services caused by conflict,” World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media.

He said a combination of internal displacement due to the war along with the challenge of deploying response teams into the region due to the instability are making access to essential health care difficult.

WHO is working to scale up cholera treatment centres and oral rehydration points, he said. It is also co-ordinating the delivery and installation of handwashing stations.

Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for the past three years that has killed tens of thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, according to Human Rights Watch.

Prior to the current outbreak, the WHO said the last case of cholera in Sudan was reported on Jan. 14.