Sudan’s White Nile state closes schools as cholera cases surge past 400
February 20, 2025 (KOSTI) – Schools in Kosti, White Nile State, have been closed in an effort to curb a major cholera outbreak, with cases exceeding 400 and 13 deaths reported, a state official announced on Thursday.
The spread of cholera has caused panic among residents of the city located in southern Sudan. Activists have broadcast urgent calls for medical personnel to support Kosti Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.
Al-Tayeb Ali Issa, acting Minister of Education for White Nile State, said in a statement that he “decided to close all schools and kindergartens in Kosti for a week.”
The decision was attributed to the emergence of “cases of acute watery diarrhoea” in recent hours, an assessment by the White Nile Ministry of Health, and concerns for the safety of the community and students.
The Ministry of Education will continue to assess the situation in Kosti and other areas of the state in coordination with the Ministry of Health to determine whether to extend the school closures or reopen.
Al-Zein Adam Saad, Minister of Health for White Nile State, revealed that cholera cases have risen to more than 400, with 13 deaths.
He said the ministry has taken all precautionary measures to provide treatment and arrange for the implementation of cholera response campaigns through safe oral vaccination starting Friday.
The minister denied reports of dozens of deaths at Kosti Hospital due to cholera.
In a field report obtained by Sudan Tribune, the Preliminary Committee for the Doctors’ Syndicate said that “Kosti Hospital received more than 600 cases of acute watery diarrhoea in two days, most of them cholera infections.”
The report added that Rabak Hospital received 47 confirmed cholera cases and 110 suspected cases, with at least nine deaths.
Up to 80% of health facilities in active conflict areas are out of service, while nearly 45% of facilities in safe areas have ceased operation.
The committee stressed that the spread of cholera represents an additional challenge to the health crisis amid an exhausted system struggling with high rates of malnutrition, increasing war casualties, and outbreaks of preventable diseases amid a severe shortage of intravenous fluids and medical supplies.
It called on international organizations, especially the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and the Red Cross, to intervene immediately and support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and community initiatives to control the epidemic and prevent its spread to other states.
Since Wednesday, cholera has spread widely in Kosti due to contaminated water caused by the disruption of most drinking water stations in the area.
On February 16, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bombed the Um Dabaker transformer station, destroying one transformer and damaging another. This affected the electricity supply to Kosti and the rest of White Nile State and disrupted water stations.