Cholera kills 3, infects dozens in Khartoum district amid water shortage

April 20, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – At least three people have died and 68 others have been infected in a cholera outbreak in the Al-Kalakla area south of Sudan’s capital Khartoum, a local emergency response group reported on Sunday.

The outbreak follows growing concerns over deteriorating sanitary conditions across Khartoum, linked to a lack of clean drinking water, accumulating waste, and reports of decomposing bodies in the streets amid the ongoing conflict.

A volunteer from the Jabal Awliya Emergency Room told Sudan Tribune that the group had registered the death of a three-year-old girl at a local health point, alongside 18 other new infections.

He confirmed two other cholera fatalities within Al-Kalakla neighbourhoods and noted that more than 50 suspected cases were present at the Turkish Hospital in the area.

The volunteer warned that cholera cases were rising due to the “complete collapse” of health services and scarcity of safe drinking water, forcing residents to draw potentially contaminated water from surface wells.

The emergency group urged residents to boil water before drinking or use purification tablets, ensure thorough handwashing, avoid exposed food and street vendors, and clean cooking utensils properly.

They advised anyone exhibiting symptoms like severe diarrhoea or vomiting to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest facility and to report suspected cases promptly to enable rapid treatment.

The group called on relevant authorities to urgently intervene to repair damaged water networks, provide safe drinking water supplies, and distribute essential infection control materials to the affected communities.