Sudan cholera cases spike as aid group warns of worsening crisis

May 22, 2025 (OMDURMAN) – Cholera cases are rapidly escalating across Sudan’s capital cities, with approximately 2,500 infections recorded in the past three weeks, including 500 on a single day.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an organization supporting cholera control efforts, warned on Friday of a widespread outbreak in Khartoum State.

The crisis has been exacerbated by widespread power and water outages in large areas of Khartoum State, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources such as shallow wells or direct Nile River water, contributing to the spread of epidemic diseases, including cholera.

MSF released a statement indicating a significant spread of cholera in Khartoum State, adding that the organization is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to bolster efforts and respond to the outbreak.

The statement noted that 13 cholera treatment units are operational in Khartoum State, with MSF supporting seven of them to ensure full capacity and potential for expansion based on needs.

According to MSF, the Ministry of Health recorded approximately 2,000 suspected cases in the preceding three weeks, before the health situation worsened with nearly 500 additional cases reported on May 21. This single-day surge represents a quarter of the cases recorded in the previous three weeks.

MSF also detailed its support for two cholera treatment centres in Omdurman to manage the influx of patients. Between May 17 and May 21, these centres treated over 570 patients.

The organization appealed to donors, the United Nations, and international non-governmental organizations to urgently scale up water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts in Khartoum to curb the outbreak. It also urged relevant Sudanese ministries to accelerate ongoing efforts to restore electricity and water in affected areas.