A new surge in cholera infections has gripped war-torn Sudan, as the Ministry of Health confirmed a sharp increase in cases this week, with over 2,700 infections and at least 172 deaths recorded in just seven days. The alarming figures highlight the deepening humanitarian crisis in a country where health infrastructure has been decimated by more than two years of armed conflict.
According to a statement from the ministry, the vast majority of the new cholera cases—around 90 percent—have been reported in Khartoum state. The capital region has seen some of the heaviest disruptions to essential services, particularly water and electricity, largely due to aerial assaults targeting critical infrastructure. These drone strikes have been widely attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group locked in a prolonged and brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces since April 2023.
While Khartoum remains the epicentre of the outbreak, cholera infections have also been confirmed in several other regions, including central, northern, and southern Sudan. Public health officials are increasingly concerned about the rapid geographical spread, especially in areas with virtually non-existent access to clean water and functioning sanitation systems.
Cholera has long been endemic to Sudan, but health experts and humanitarian agencies say the current wave marks a new level of severity. The war has crippled an already fragile public health infrastructure, collapsing systems that once kept such outbreaks in check. The Ministry of Health notes that weekly cholera infections in Khartoum alone have ranged between 600 and 700 in recent weeks, but these figures are likely an undercount given limited access to diagnostic testing and overwhelmed facilities. The Khartoum State Health Directorate reported that approximately 800 cholera patients are currently undergoing treatment in local health centres, though neither body released updated figures on fatalities beyond this week’s confirmed death toll.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has devastated nearly every facet of civilian life. Health facilities have been looted, bombed, or simply abandoned due to ongoing violence. Reports from the country’s doctors’ union indicate that as many as 90 percent of hospitals have closed at some point since the fighting began. The World Health Organization has warned that Sudan’s healthcare system is now teetering on the edge of collapse.
Much of the infrastructure damage has been attributed to deliberate attacks. Repeated drone strikes have hit power stations, fuel depots, and water dams across Khartoum and surrounding regions. These attacks have not only left millions without electricity but have also cut off water supplies in several districts, leaving communities to rely on unsafe, stagnant sources. The lack of clean water has accelerated the spread of cholera, dengue fever, malaria, and other communicable diseases.
The United Nations, in a recent assessment, described the situation as catastrophic. “Public services, already under enormous strain, struggled to cope with the compounded challenges brought by prolonged power loss,” the UN report stated. Humanitarian agencies operating on the ground face enormous barriers to accessing affected areas, with supply routes cut off, staff threatened, and medical shipments frequently delayed or stolen.
Meanwhile, ground fighting remains intense in Sudan’s western regions, particularly in Kordofan and Darfur. These areas have long suffered from instability, but recent months have seen renewed offensives by the army as it attempts to regain territory from RSF fighters. The Sudanese military claimed full control of Khartoum state earlier this week, but analysts caution that such claims remain difficult to verify amid ongoing skirmishes and shifting frontlines.
The root of the conflict lies in a failed power-sharing agreement between the army and RSF, which fell apart over disputes about how to integrate the paramilitary group into a unified national force during Sudan’s transitional process toward democratic governance. What began as a political dispute has since morphed into a full-scale civil war with devastating consequences.
Now entering its third year, Sudan’s war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 13 million—many of whom are facing acute hunger, lack of shelter, and little to no access to healthcare. With famine looming and epidemics surging, aid groups warn that the country is on the brink of becoming an uncontainable humanitarian catastrophe. The cholera outbreak is just the latest manifestation of a conflict that shows no sign of abating and continues to erode every aspect of life for the Sudanese people.
