Cholera outbreak and famine threaten East Nile, Khartoum

March 2, 2025 (KHARTOUM BAHRI) – Three new cholera cases, including two fatalities, have been reported in the East Nile area east of Khartoum, activists said on Sunday, amid a worsening food crisis.

The East Nile region faces a rapidly escalating food shortage, raising fears of famine for thousands of families. Community kitchens and charitable food distribution centres have largely ceased operations due to deteriorating security, scarcity of goods, and rising prices.

An anonymous East Nile Emergency Room member told Sudan Tribune that medical authorities had been notified of three new cholera cases in the Barona and Dar Al Salam neighbourhoods of Al-Haj Youssif over the past week.

Two of the cases resulted in deaths, while the third patient was hospitalized at Al-Ban Jadeed Hospital, the source said.

The Emergency Room member confirmed a shortage of medicines and medical supplies and the closure of health centres due to the security situation.

Recent violent attacks and reported abuses by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in East Nile have placed residents under threat of killing, looting, arrest, and physical assault.

The seizure of Starlink devices and mobile phones has further compounded the humanitarian crisis, the source added.